Meropenem

Researchers found that highly drug-resistant bacteria from hospitals are also resistant to glyphosate, a commonly used weedkiller. The discovery suggests that agricultural herbicides may be helping antibiotic-resistant microbes survive and spread far beyond healthcare settings.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) contributes to an estimated 1.1 million to 1.4 million deaths worldwide each year. While this growing threat is typically linked to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, new research suggests another factor may also be playing a role: certain weedkillers. Scientists have found evidence that glyphosate, one of the world's most widely used herbicides, may help select for bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. "Here we show that the most common species of multidrug-resistant bacteria from hospitals are not only resistant to multiple antibiotic classes, but also to high concentrations of the weedkiller glyphosate," said Dr. Daniela Centrón, a researcher at the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology in Buenos Aires and the senior author of the study published in Frontiers in Microbiology. "These results suggest that weedkillers -- which, unlike antibiotics, are widely applied in agricultural environments -- may have the unintended side-effect of selecting for AMR among bacterial communities within the soil." Testing Bacteria From Nature, Farms, and Hospitals To investigate the connection, Centrón and her colleagues analyzed 68 bacterial strains collected in 2018 and 2020 from sediment in a protected nature reserve in the Paraná delta, a wetland region north of Buenos Aires. Although herbicides have never been applied inside the reserve, glyphosate is commonly used in nearby agricultural areas. The researchers examined how resistant each strain was to 16 commonly used antibiotics, including ampicillin combined with sulbactam, meropenem, tetracycline, and vancomycin. They also tested resistance to pure glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides, which are among the most widely used weedkillers worldwide. The findings were then compared with 19 bacterial strains obtained from local hospitals, including multidrug-resistant species. An additional 15 strains came from feedlots and agricultural soils affected by herbicide use. Hospital Superbugs Also Resist Glyphosate The hospital strains showed widespread antimicrobial resistance. Individual strains were resistant to between one and 16 of the antibiotics tested. Particularly concerning was the finding that 74% were resistant to carbapenems, a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics often reserved as a last line of defense against serious infections. All of the hospital-derived strains were also highly resistant to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides. "This means that if these bacteria enter the environment through untreated wastewater from hospitals, they could go on to thrive in agricultural areas where glyphosate is used," said first author Dr. Camila Knecht from Dr. Centrón's research group. The 68 strains collected from the Paraná delta represented 15 different genera, including Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Exiguobacterium, and Chryseobacterium. Every one of them displayed at least some resistance to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides, despite the fact that these chemicals had never been applied within the reserve itself. Among the environmental strains, Enterobacter species tolerated the highest glyphosate concentrations, surviving levels of up to 80 milligrams per milliliter. In contrast, Bacillus species, which are commonly found in soil, were especially sensitive. Their growth was inhibited at concentrations as low as 2.5 milligrams per milliliter. High glyphosate resistance was also observed in strains isolated from hospital infections that showed extreme drug resistance. Resistant Bacteria Share Similar Genetic Backgrounds The researchers then constructed a genetic "family tree" using all 102 bacterial strains included in the study. They found that bacteria with the greatest glyphosate resistance were often closely related, regardless of whether they originated from hospitals, farms, or the Paraná delta. For example, the same bacterial genera showed glyphosate resistance across all three environments. "In the environment, the use of glyphosate leads to the evolution of resistant bacteria in impacted soils, whereas the use of antibiotics favors their evolution in hospitals. Bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes can spread and breed between those two niches in both directions and in multiple ways, with the water cycle playing a key role in transmission," concluded coauthor Dr. Jochen A Müller, a group leader at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Concerns About Glyphosate and Public Health Glyphosate has long been the subject of scientific and regulatory debate. Research has shown that it can harm arthropods (in particular bees), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a probable human carcinogen. Several European countries have already restricted some uses of the herbicide. France, Belgium, and the Netherlands have banned glyphosate for household applications, while Germany currently prohibits its use in public spaces. Based on the findings, the researchers argue that pesticide regulations should take antibiotic resistance into account before products reach the market. "Policies for the use of any pesticide, as well as its metabolites, should stipulate the requirement for co-selection testing with antibiotics before marketing. Labels should include a warming that genes for antibiotic resistance can spread from glyphosate-contaminated soils to hospitals through untreated water," counseled Centrón.

Investment led by Jon Moulton supports progression of clinical and preclinical programmes addressing critical-priority pathogens Infex to present results from Phase IIa trial for first-in-class anti-virulence therapy RESP-X at ATS 2026 Alderley Park, Cheshire, U.K. – 12 May 2026, Infex Therapeutics, a leading anti-infectives specialist, announces it has secured £4.3 million in funding led by prominent British venture capitalist Jon Moulton, with participation from the GM&C Life Sciences Fund (managed by Catapult Ventures) and existing high net worth investors. The funding will support the continued advancement of Infex’s pipeline of novel anti-infectives targeting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and other critical-priority infectious diseases. Specifically, the investment will enable: Preparation for further clinical development of RESP-X , following completion of its encouraging Phase IIa trial in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infections in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) patients; Expansion of the MET-X programme , a resistance bypass treatment targeting Gram-negative Enterobacterales, for drug-resistant infections, alongside the Company's clinical development partnership with Venus Remedies Ltd (“Venus”) in India, and; Progression of preclinical programmes , including its first-in-class BamA inhibitor being developed in collaboration with Justus-Liebig-University Giessen. "We are delighted to secure this investment led by Jon Moulton, with support from the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Lifescience Investment Fund and our existing investors,” said Dr Peter Jackson, CEO of Infex Therapeutics. “This funding represents strong validation of our progress in developing novel anti-infectives to address the critical global threat of antimicrobial resistance. It enables us to advance RESP-X toward later stage clinical development, expand our MET-X programme, and advance our broader preclinical pipeline of first-in-class approaches targeting highly resistant Gram-negative pathogens." Jon Moulton, Chair of Infex Therapeutics, commented: “We have supported Infex from the beginning and continue to be impressed by the Company’s scientific progress and strategic execution. Infex’s lead programme RESP-X is approaching a critical inflection point with upcoming phase IIa results, and we strongly believe it will be a life-changing future first therapy for NCFB patients with drug resistant Pa colonisation. This additional investment reflects our strong conviction in both the team and its innovative approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance . Nick Wright, CEO of Catapult Ventures which manages the GM&C Life Sciences Fund, said: “Infex Therapeutics has made excellent scientific progress since we first invested several years ago. The company has clearly established itself as a world leader in the AMR and related space and the data it is generating is very compelling.” Pipeline highlights RESP-X RESP-X, the Company’s lead programme, is a first-in-class anti-virulence monoclonal antibody in-licensed from Shionogi. The programme is focused on patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) a chronic respiratory disease in which P. aeruginosa colonisation drives recurrent, potentially life-threatening exacerbations. There are currently no approved preventative treatments for these Pa-colonised patients. Infex has completed an encouraging Phase IIa clinical trial evaluating safety, dosing and early efficacy, with data to be presented at ATS 2026 (see details below). RESP-X also has potential for expansion into additional indications, including cystic fibrosis, COPD and acute hospital infections. MET-X MET-X is a broad spectrum metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)-inhibitor targeting Gram-negative Enterobacterales, a group of WHO critical-priority pathogens responsible for severe and often drug-resistant infections. By inhibiting MBL enzymes, MET-X restores the activity of beta-lactam antibiotics such as meropenem, offering a potential solution to one of the most challenging mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Under the exclusive license agreement announced in February 2025, Venus will conduct clinical development of MET-X in combination with the beta-lactam meropenem in India. Infex retains MET-X’s development and commercialisation rights outside of India. BamA inhibitor programme Infex is also advancing a first-in-class BamA inhibitor programme in collaboration with Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, supported by funding from PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy). BamA is a novel target essential for Gram-negative bacterial survival and previously considered undruggable. Inhibiting BamA disrupts bacterial membrane function, weakening defences and enabling clearance of infection. Infex to present Phase IIa trial results for RESP-X at ATS 2026 The Company will present results from its Phase IIa trial for its lead candidate RESP-X in a late-breaking abstract at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2026 International Conference, taking place on 15-20 May, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. Full details of the abstract are set out below. Date : Wednesday 20 May, 2026 Start time : 12.48 PM ET Location : Orange County Convention Center, W224 AB/EF (Level II, OCCC West Concourse) Session : D92 New Therapeutics, Interventions, and Monitoring in Chronic Respiratory Disease Abstract title : Positive Phase 2a Study Results on RESP-X (INFEX702), a Highly Potent Anti-virulence Monoclonal Antibody in Development to Reduce Exacerbation Frequency in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa-colonised Non-cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis (ncfb) Patients Authors : Colm Thomas Leonard, MD, Juergen Dobmeyer, MD, Nicola Ooi, PhD, Victoria Savage, PhD, Kerry Nield, PhD, Derek Lindsay, PhD, Sue Schmidt, PhD, Rachael White, PhD, Richard Fitzgerald, MB PhD, Lauren Walker, MB ChB PhD About Infex Therapeutics Infex Therapeutics Holdings plc is a leader in critical-priority infectious diseases, with a broad and diverse pipeline of innovative best-in-class and first-in-class drug candidates to address the urgent global shortage of novel anti-infective treatments. The Company is building a differentiated pipeline through in-house drug discovery, acquisition, co-development and in-licensing of early stage/pre-clinical candidates, developing them to clinical proof of concept before licensing to commercial pharma partners. To learn more, visit our website: Contact Infex Therapeutics Carl Curran, Head of Business Development E-mail: info@infextx.com ICR Healthcare Stephanie Cuthbert, Louis Ashe-Jepson E-mail: infex@icrhealthcare.com