A potential treatment of pulmonary infection for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has just been awarded U.S. patent status, reports Medicalxpress.
Dr Daniel Hassett, a researcher working at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, is developing the drug, called AB569, and has exclusively licenced it to the biotechnology company Arch Biopartners. AB569 has been developed to treat pulmonary infections in CF and COPD patients caused by microorganisms that are resistant to current antibiotics.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited genetic condition that affects over 70,000 people worldwide, over half of whom are from the US. The condition is caused by genetic changes that disrupt the movement of water and salts between cells. This, combined with reoccurring infections, causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs and organs. Symptoms of CF include coughing, shortness of breath, reoccurring chest infections, interrupted growth, and jaundice.
COPD is a term that is applied to several different conditions linked to breathing difficulties, including emphysema (damaged lung air sacs), and chronic bronchitis (chronic airway inflammation). COPD is very common, with approximately 251 million people worldwide affected. Smoking is a risk factor for the disease, and incidence increases with age. Having COPD can cause breathlessness, which can make some daily activities difficult. It is also characterised by coughing and reoccuring chest infections.
The recurrent infections in both CF and COPD are often difficult to treat if antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aesuginosa, cause them. Hassett’s new drug, AB569, works to destroy the bacteria using a combination of acidified sodium nitrite and disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. It is currently being tested in a Phase 1 human trial using healthy volunteers.
This treatment could help many people if made commercially available. The presence of antibiotic-resistant P. aesuginosa in a patient’s airway significantly decreases a patient’s lung function and prognosis, compared to those without the bacteria. Over 60% of CF patients aged 25-34 have P. aesuginosa, and many COPD patients have similar infections. Dr Hassett described how previous work that put him in contact with cystic fibrosis patients had influenced his decision to research pulmonary infections,
“I said then, ‘It’s going to be my life’s goal to find a major treatment.”
