SMART researchers discover novel combination therapy to counter antibiotic-resistant Mycobacterium abscessus infections

Currently, M. abscessus infections are treated by a multidrug regimen that includes clarithromycin, but some M. abscessus subspecies acquire resistance upon repeated exposure to the drug. As a result, available treatment options are limited, leading to prolonged and recurrent infections and even fatalities in some cases. With clarithromycin being the mainstay of NTM treatments and currently the only highly effective oral antibiotic for treating M. abscessus infections, there is an urgent medical need for the identification of compounds that are clarithromycin potentiators in order to effectively restore clarithromycin efficacy against M. abscessus.