Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:RCE, OTC:RECEF) has fielded some promising results from its latest study on the efficacy of RECCE® 327 (R327) against the multidrug-resistant (MDR), World Health Organization (WHO) priority pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii).
Strong bactericidal activity
Conducted at Recce’s Anti-Infective Research unit within Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, the study revealed strong bactericidal activity of R327 against A. baumannii in adult human epidermal skin cells.
The study demonstrated a 99.99999% log reduction (>7.5 log reduction) in A. baumannii in primary human epidermal keratinocytes just one-hour post-treatment with R327.
This bactericidal activity was maintained at the 24-hour mark, indicating sustained efficacy. In contrast, ciprofloxacin showed no reduction in intracellular bacterial burden at the one-hour mark and only around a 1 log reduction at 24 hours.
"Potent efficacy"
CEO James Graham said: “These outstanding results highlight the potent efficacy of R327 in combating MDR bacteria, a significant global health challenge.
“The ability of R327 to achieve such substantial reductions in bacterial load and maintain its effectiveness over 24 hours is a testament to its potential as a leading anti-infective treatment.
“We are excited about these findings and their implications for the future of infection management.”
Leading researcher at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Dr Sohinee Sarkar added: “The significant bactericidal activity observed with R327, particularly its ability to reduce bacterial presence to BLOQ, marks a major advancement in our fight against resistant pathogens.
“The sustained efficacy of R327 compared to ciprofloxacin underscores its potential as a superior treatment option.
“These results are promising and pave the way for further development and application of R327 in clinical settings.”
Severe, persistent infections
A. baumannii is known for causing severe infections, including persistent wound infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia and meningitis.
Infections caused by MDR A. baumannii are difficult to treat and can lead to prolonged hospital stays, increased healthcare costs and high mortality rates.
The positive results from this study support Recce’s ongoing Phase 2 Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infection (ABSSSI) trials and build upon successful Phase 2 Diabetic Foot Ulcer Infection data.
The demonstrated efficacy of R327 against MDR A. baumannii will support the initiation of a Phase 2 trial in patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) and urosepsis.