Roche Antibiotic Enters Final Trials Against Deadly Hospital Superbug

Zosurabalpin, a new antibiotic developed by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche in collaboration with Harvard University, has entered its final phase of human trials targeting drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacterium responsible for severe hospital-acquired infections like pneumonia and sepsis. This bacterium is labeled an "urgent threat" by the CDC and has seen no new effective antibiotics developed in over 50 years, making zosurabalpin's novel mechanism of action particularly promising. The phase 3 trial involves about 400 patients globally and aims to demonstrate efficacy against strains resistant to even last-resort antibiotics. Experts emphasize the drug's potential to address antimicrobial resistance, a critical global health challenge causing millions of deaths annually from infections such as sepsis and community-acquired pneumonia. Roche leaders highlighted that the innovative biology behind zosurabalpin could also provide insights into bacterial membranes and pave the way for future antibiotic discoveries. If successful, zosurabalpin could be approved by the end of the decade, offering a vital new tool against deadly superbugs.