IIT Roorkee, Uttarakhand, August 11th, 2025: IIT Roorkee has taken a significant step forward in the global fight against antibiotic resistance. Researchers from the Institute have developed a new drug candidate, Compound 3b, that can restore the effectiveness of a potent antibiotic against deadly drug-resistant bacteria.
Led by Prof. Ranjana Pathania from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, the IIT Roorkee team—including Dr. Mangal Singh and Perwez Bakht along with Norwegian collaborators Prof. Annette Bayer and her team from UiT Tromsø, has designed a novel molecule that works alongside the antibiotic Meropenem to treat infections caused by KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, a superbug listed among the World Health Organization’s top-priority threats.
“This breakthrough offers a promising solution to one of the world’s most urgent health challenges, antimicrobial resistance. Our compound neutralizes the resistance mechanism and shows strong therapeutic results in preclinical models,” said Prof. Ranjana Pathania, Principal Investigator, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Roorkee.
The newly discovered molecule belongs to a class of β-lactamase inhibitor drugs that prevent bacterial enzymes from breaking down life-saving antibiotics. Compound 3b is highly specific, safe to human cells, and works synergistically with Meropenem to kill resistant bacteria. Lab and animal tests significantly reduced bacterial infection in the lungs.
“This innovation reflects IIT Roorkee’s commitment to developing impactful scientific solutions for global challenges. In the face of rising antibiotic resistance, such research provides critical hope for effective and accessible treatments,” said Prof. K. K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee.
The research has been published in the prestigious Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and is expected to contribute significantly to future drug development efforts targeting superbugs. This discovery marks a significant advancement in the ongoing battle against antimicrobial resistance. With Compound 3b showing strong potential in restoring the power of existing antibiotics, the work led by IIT Roorkee highlights the critical role of interdisciplinary research in safeguarding public health. As antibiotic resistance threatens global healthcare systems, innovations like this bring renewed hope for effective treatments and reinforce India’s contribution to frontline biomedical research.