Repurposed Heart Drug Demonstrates Efficacy Against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

A recent study conducted by researchers at Emory University has unveiled promising developments in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a growing global health crisis. The research, published on June 10, 2025, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlights the potential of fendiline, a drug originally approved for treating heart arrhythmia, to target and eliminate the highly infectious bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii, commonly found in hospital settings.

Antibiotic resistance has increasingly become a significant concern within healthcare, with resistant infections posing severe risks, especially to immunocompromised patients. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antibiotic-resistant infections are responsible for approximately 700,000 deaths annually, a number projected to rise if effective solutions are not found (WHO, 2022).

The study's lead author, Dr. Jennifer Colquhoun, a research scientist at Emory University, stated, "This novel finding repurposes an existing drug, exploits a newly identified vulnerability in an antibiotic-resistant bacterium, and opens doors for developing new antibiotics targeting similar pathways." The researchers discovered that fendiline acts by disrupting the essential lipoprotein trafficking pathway in Acinetobacter baumannii, a mechanism that is particularly compromised in antibiotic-resistant strains. This targeted approach allows fendiline to selectively kill the pathogen without harming the beneficial bacteria present in the human gut microbiome, a significant advantage in maintaining overall health during treatment.

Dr. Philip Rather, a professor in the Emory University School of Medicine and the corresponding author of the paper, emphasized the urgency of finding effective therapeutics for resistant infections. He explained, "It's critical that we find more and better therapeutics that can target these antibiotic-resistant infections which affect patients on ventilators, those with deep soft tissue infections, and the immunocompromised."

The implications of this research are substantial. As fendiline is already an FDA-approved medication, it could potentially expedite the process of clinical trials and deployment in treating serious hospital-acquired infections. This could be particularly impactful as healthcare systems globally grapple with the rising tide of antibiotic resistance.

In terms of future projections, if fendiline's efficacy is confirmed in clinical settings, it may lead to the development of a new class of antibiotics that target similar vulnerabilities in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This aligns with the findings of a 2023 study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, which highlighted the urgent need for innovative approaches to combat bacterial resistance (Smith et al., 2023).

Additionally, the study reflects a broader trend in pharmaceutical research, where repurposing existing drugs is becoming an increasingly viable strategy for addressing pressing medical challenges. According to a report by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), drug repurposing can significantly reduce the time and resources required to bring effective treatments to market (NIH, 2022).

In conclusion, the discovery that fendiline can effectively combat antibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii marks a significant advancement in the ongoing battle against drug-resistant infections. Continued research and clinical evaluation will be essential to validate these findings and explore the potential for fendiline and similar drugs to become standard treatments in managing antibiotic resistance in healthcare settings.