New all-oral treatments for Mycobacterium abscessus lung infections
Official title: Discovery of novel lead-target pairs and identification of all-oral bactericidal drug regimens for Mycobacterium abscessus lung disease
Funded at Hackensack University Medical Center · NIH-11320895 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Trying combinations of new and existing oral antibiotics to find medicines that can kill Mycobacterium abscessus in people with lung infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hackensack University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hackensack, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2018 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $872,777 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI132374-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11320895 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People diagnosed with Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary infection, especially those with persistent or hard-to-treat disease or who cannot tolerate IV antibiotic regimens, would be the intended beneficiaries.
✕Less likely to help
People without Mab lung infections or those needing immediate treatment may not benefit right away because most work described is preclinical and not yet an available therapy.
What this research studies
If you have Mycobacterium abscessus lung disease, this project focuses on finding oral drug combinations that can actually kill the bacteria rather than only slowing it down. The team is building on years of antibiotic chemistry and is testing newly synthesized drug candidates and improved rifamycin-like compounds in lab and animal models. They are also looking for drug pairs that work together especially well, including oral beta-lactams combined with other antibiotics, to create effective, all-oral regimens. Successful combinations would then be the basis for future clinical testing in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to effective all-oral, bacteria-killing treatment options for people with Mab lung disease who currently have few reliable cures.
How similar studies have gone: Related preclinical work has shown promising bactericidal activity in mouse models and identified synergistic oral antibiotic combinations, but clinical success in humans for Mab remains limited.
Where this research is happening
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Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dick, Thomas — Hackensack University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Dick, Thomas
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.