Roche and Polyphor announce superbug research alliance

Roche has entered into a new research alliance with Polyphor to develop a potential new treatment for multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections.

The collaboration will see Roche licensing an investigational antibiotic called POL7080 from Polyphor in order to combat Pseudomonas species, a superbug that is commonly found in hospitals and has evolved to become resistant to many antibiotic treatments.

POL7080 belongs to a new class of antibiotics that kills Pseudomonas aeruginosa by a novel mode of action and has been shown to be safe and effective in a phase I clinical study.

Antimicrobial resistance represents a major threat to public health worldwide and numerous organisations are committing resources to finding new ways of stemming the tide.

Janet Hammond, head of the infectious diseases discovery and translational area for Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, said: "As part of our infectious diseases research strategy, we focus on areas of high unmet medical need, where we feel we can make the most difference for patients."

Last month, Roche announced its financial results for the first nine months of 2013, during which it experienced year-on-year growth of six percent.