Strong early data on Destiny's MRSA drug

Destiny Pharma, a privately-held UK biotechnology firm, says that its antibacterial XF-73 killed virulent strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in preclinical studies, without signs of resistance. According to data presented at last month's European Congress on Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, in Barcelona, Spain, the agent was effective against the five most common MRSA strains.

The lead drug in Destiny's pipeline, XF-73 is currently in clinical development for nasal decolonization of S. aureus, including MRSA, as well as for other indications. Unlike antibiotics which use specific surface receptors, the compounds in Destiny's XF series adhere to bacteria via electrostatic binding, allowing in vitro bactericidal activity against a wide range of bacteria at lower concentrations than traditional antibiotics, the firm noted.