The discovery, led by Dr. Ishwar Singh, Reader in Antimicrobial Drug Discovery at the University of Liverpool, marks a major step forward in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—a health crisis recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top 10 threats to humanity, responsible for nearly 5 million deaths every year.

A new weapon against superbugs

WHO has identified a list of “priority pathogens” urgently requiring new antibiotics, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterococcus faecium. Novltex has shown potent, fast-acting activity against both.

Unlike traditional antibiotics, Novltex targets lipid II—an essential building block of bacterial cell walls that does not mutate. This means Novltex offers durable protection against resistance, addressing one of the biggest challenges in modern medicine.

This breakthrough builds on pioneering research by Dr. Singh and his team, who previously developed simplified synthetic versions of teixobactin—a natural molecule used by soil bacteria to kill competing microbes. The Liverpool team created and tested a unique library of synthetic teixobactins, optimizing key features to enhance efficacy and safety while making them practical and inexpensive to produce at scale.