Natural Antibiotic Resists ‘Superbugs’

Teixobactin could lead to new generation of treatments for stubborn bacteria

Scientists testing COVID-19 samples at New York City's health department in New York City, New York U.S., April 23, 2020. While antibiotics can't treat the virus, they can treat the secondary bacterial lung infections that often arise. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/

A newly discovered natural antibiotic, teixobactin, could be effective in treating bacterial lung conditions such as tuberculosis and those commonly associated with COVID-19, according to a new study.

As bacteria evolve, they develop strategies that undermine antibiotics and morph into “superbugs” that can resist most available treatments and cause potentially lethal infections.