NHMRC grant success

Two new National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants will help Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences researchers fight ‘superbugs’ and improve the treatment of acutely agitated patients in emergency wards.

Structure-Activity Relationships of Polymyxin Antibiotics. Velkov T, Thompson PE, Nation RL, Li J. J Med Chem. 2009 Oct 29. [Epub ahead of print]

Targeting polymyxin-resistant Gram-negative 'superbugs': development of novel antimicrobial lipopeptides

Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (MIPS) researchers Dr Jian Li, Professor Roger Nation, Dr Phil Thompson, Dr Tony Velkov (Deakin University and MIPS) and associate investigators Dr Richard Prankerd and Dr Francis Chiu

A three-year grant totalling $637,500 will assist in addressing a global need for the development of new antibiotics for the treatment of Gram-negative ‘superbugs', including polymyxin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. This grant recognises MIPS internationally track record as a leader in polymyxin pharmacology, molecular modelling and peptide synthesis.

The emergence of bacterial pathogens that are resistant to almost all available antibiotics presents a major issue world wide. The marked decline in the discovery of novel antibiotics over the last two decades has increased this threat, as there are virtually no new antibiotics in the current drug development pipeline with activity against the above-mentioned dangerous pathogens. While the recent emergence of infections caused by polymyxin-resistant ‘superbugs' highlights the urgency to develop novel antibiotics for these difficult-to-treat pathogens.

In response to this urgent clinical need, this NHMRC project aims to design, synthesise and evaluate novel lipopeptides as new antibiotics for treatment of infections caused by polymyxin-resistant ‘superbugs'. 

Droperidol and olanzapine as adjuncts to midazolam for the acutely agitated patient: a randomised clinical trial

Associate Professor David Taylor (Austin Health), Dr Jonathan Knott (Melbourne Health), Professor David Castle (St Vincent's Health), Dr David Kong (Centre for Medicine Use and Safety), Ms Esther Chan, PhD candidate (Centre for Medicine Use and Safety) and Dr Georgina Phillips (St Vincent's Health)

This project was awarded $182,775 over two years to test current beliefs around best practice medication of agitated patients in the Emergency Department. If not managed promptly, acute agitation may progress to aggression and violence posing a safety risk to the individual and others. It is not unusual in an Emergency Department setting for two different classes of drug, benzodiazepines (ie. midazolam) and antipsychotics (ie. olanzapine or droperidol), to be used in combination, as this is thought to sedate patients quickly, require lower total drug doses, induce fewer side effects and have less need for re-sedation. However, there is no evidence to support these contentions. It is envisaged that the project will provide critical evidence for the development of acute sedation guidelines in the Emergency Department.