New oral antibiotic for hard-to-treat Gram-negative infections
Official title: New oral antibiotics focused on treating MDR Gram-negative infections
Funded at Curza INC · NIH-11391031 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A program aims to create a new oral antibiotic that can fight multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Curza INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 9, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,000,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R44AI186898-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11391031 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with MDR Gram-negative infections and limited options due to resistance.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with infections caused by non-resistant bacteria or those unable to take oral medications may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on designing a new class of broad-spectrum antibiotics that target MDR Gram-negative pathogens. It uses a unique ribosome binding site to avoid cross-resistance with current drugs and aims to keep mammalian cells safe. The work is based on re-engineering a natural product into drug-like compounds that are metabolically stable and highly selective for bacteria, showing activity in lab and animal models.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with MDR Gram-negative infections could have a new oral treatment option.
How similar studies have gone: Similar approaches have shown promise in preclinical models, but this represents a novel oral candidate for MDR pathogens.
Where this research is happening
-
Curza INC
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Testa, Charles — Curza INC
- Study coordinator: Testa, Charles
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.