New antibiotic hailed as a breakthrough

Mark Frauenfelder 8:36 am Thu Jan 8, 2015

Image: William Fowle, Northeastern University

Scientists have discovered a "breakthrough" antibiotic in a sample of New England dirt that has shown great promise in the laboratory. They are calling it teixobactin.

The experimental drug, which was isolated from a sample of New England dirt, is called teixobactin. It hasn’t yet been tested in people, though it cured all mice infected with antibiotic-resistant staphylococci bacteria that usually kills 90 percent of the animals, according to a study published today in the journal Nature. Bacteria appear to have a particularly difficult time developing resistance to the drug, potentially overcoming a major problem with existing antibiotics.

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