Topical bacteriocin therapy with epidermicin NI01 for dermatological infections (TOBRADERM)

Amprologix is a company developing novel antibiotics to meet the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR happens when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and results in treatment failure and increased death from 'drug resistant' infections. These infections killed over 1.2 million people in 2019 and new antibiotics are urgently needed. If we don't develop new antibiotics, our current medical system may fail and things like cancer therapy and routine surgery may result in a fatal infection.

In this TOBRADERM project, Amprologix will test a new antibiotic compound, epidermicin NI01, for treating skin infections, which affect millions of people every year in the UK and are the cause of more than 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions. Skin infections can be minor but can also result in severe and fatal outcomes, and they are increasingly complicated by AMR. We will develop epidermicin to be used externally (topical application), being applied directly to infected areas. This increases the killing action but also helps preserve current antibiotics, taken orally or by injection, for use against serious infections, like those in the blood.

Epidermicin NI01 is from a new class of antibiotic compound, the bacteriocins (small protein-like molecules). Whilst bacteriocins are not used to treat patients yet, epidermicin has many features that increase the chance of it being a successful drug. These features include properties that minimise any risks that have stopped development of previous bacteriocins: it has very potent activity against globally leading pathogens ('superbugs'), including those that are resistant to current antibiotics and the leading causes of skin infections; toxicity is extremely low, even in recent safety tests in animals; resistance is very unlikely to occur due to the novel way it kills target bacteria; and we have developed an extremely low-cost production system. Epidermicin will also not kill all kinds of bacteria meaning it will target the main pathogens, leaving other skin bacteria unharmed, protecting the 'microbiome'.

Epidermicin is an extremely promising new antibiotic and success in the TOBRADERM project will allow Amprologix to access new drug markets, helping it grow into a global leader in 'topical therapeutics'. This will create jobs, generate income for the company and enable development of a new drug to treat skin infections, potentially benefitting over 1 million people a year in the UK.