Return only the content requested, in English without any additional comments or text. Common Blood Pressure Drug Shows Surprising Power Against Deadly Antibiotic-Resistant Superbug

A common blood pressure medication has shown unexpected effectiveness against a deadly antibiotic-resistant superbug in laboratory studies, offering a potential new approach to combat rising antimicrobial resistance.

Researchers found that lorundrostat, a drug developed to treat resistant hypertension, demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria in preclinical testing. The discovery emerged during investigations into the compound’s primary mechanism for lowering blood pressure through inhibition of aldosterone synthase.

The antibiotic-resistant infections targeted in the study represent a growing global health threat. According to the World Health Organization, one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections causing common infections worldwide in 2023 were resistant to antibiotic treatments. Between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance rose in over 40% of the pathogen-antibiotic combinations monitored, with an average annual increase of 5–15%.

WHO estimates that antibiotic resistance is highest in the WHO South-East Asian and Eastern Mediterranean Regions, where 1 in 3 reported infections were resistant. In the African Region, 1 in 5 infections was resistant. Resistance is also more common and worsening in places where health systems lack capacity to diagnose or treat bacterial pathogens.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that antimicrobial-resistant infections requiring second- and third-line treatments can harm patients by causing serious side effects, such as organ failure, and prolong care and recovery, sometimes for months. In the United States alone, more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur each year, resulting in more than 35,000 deaths according to CDC’s 2019 Antibiotic Resistance Threats Report.

While the initial findings show promise, researchers emphasize that lorundrostat’s antibacterial properties have so far only been observed in laboratory settings. Clinical trials would be necessary to determine whether the drug could be safely and effectively repurposed for treating antibiotic-resistant infections in humans.

The discovery highlights the potential for existing medications to have unexpected secondary benefits beyond their primary approved uses. However, medical experts caution against drawing premature conclusions about clinical applications until further research establishes safety, efficacy, and appropriate dosing for antimicrobial indications.