Technology Opportunities

Neomycin B is an important antibiotic, commonly used as a food-additive for agricultural purposes. As a result of antibiotic formulations having been used for several decades, resistance to antibiotics has been evolving. The present invention is a Neomycin B that has been modified by the addition of one extra sugar ring. This modification has been shown to both enhance its antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacterial strains and to produce a significant decline in bacterial resistance. The compounds are also active against Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) and are able to inhibit the proteolytic activity of its lethal factor.