Europeans team up to develop antibiotics for lung infections

Lung specialists across Europe have been recruited to participate in a €50 million project that will develop new treatments for cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis, according to a press release.

The inhaled Antibiotics in Bronchiectasis and Cystic Fibrosis consortium, led by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast, Ireland, will address the demand for new forms of inhaled antibiotics and the ongoing issue of antimicrobial resistance.

“There are limited antibiotics available to treat lung infection in cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis, and the bacteria causing them are becoming increasingly resistant to current antibiotics,” researcher Stuart Elborn, MD, dean of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s University, said in the release.

The drugs are expected to reduce infections and flare ups and improve patients’ lung function and quality of life, according to the release. Twenty researchers from the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland will be involved in the 5-year clinical trials assessing the safety and efficacy of the antibiotics.

“To ensure the development of new drug types, we are bringing together world-leading researchers with proven expertise in antibiotic development, clinical trials, and high-quality research,” Elborn said.

The researchers also will launch the first European patient register for bronchiectasis, which will improve the research and development process of new drugs in addition to the quality of care for patients, according to the release.

The project is funded by the European Commission through the Innovative Medicines Initiative and also is supported by the Northern Ireland Contact Point for Health.

Disclosure: Elborn is the lead researcher for iABC consortium. The Northern Ireland Contact Point network is funded by Northern Ireland’s Department of Employment and Learning and Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.