Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a white blood cell interacting with an antibiotic resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
Tetracyclines are a group of broad-spectrum antibiotics used to treat several different types of bacterial infections, including those caused by both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Unfortunately, many bacteria are developing resistance to this valuable treatment. To address this growing issue, NIAID is supporting the development of novel tetracyclines. Prepared using state-of-the-art chemistry developed by an NIAID-supported scientist at Harvard University, these synthetic compounds are not subject to existing tetracycline resistance mechanisms and therefore represent important new tools for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections.
NIAID support has enabled the chemical synthesis of over 2,000 novel tetracyclines, several of which are at various steps in the product development pathway. One new tetracycline called eravacycline (TP-434) from Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal bacterial infections. In addition, NIAID supported the development of TP-271, a novel tetracycline also created by Tetraphase, which has advanced from proof-of-concept through completion of Phase I trials. With the same chemistry that created TP-434 and TP-271, TetraPhase has synthesized TP-6076, another broad-spectrum antibacterial of the tetracycline class, and developed it for the treatment of serious bacterial infections including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceaeand multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. TP-6076 has been advanced to clinical Phase I trials. These compounds are being developed for numerous bacterial indications, including community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, MDR gram-negative bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus anthracis, Fransicella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis.