A research project led by Professor Daniel Ken Inaoka of the Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, in collaboration with Professor Yohei Doi of Fujita Health University, focusing on the development of a novel antibiotic with a new mechanism-of-action (MoA) against Klebsiella species (Klebsiella pneumoniae), has been selected to be part of the international research consortium Gram-Negative Antibiotic Discovery Innovator (Gr-ADI), supported by the Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and Novo Nordisk Foundation.【1】

Gr-ADI has committed USD 60 million (approximately JPY 9.5 billion) to support antibiotic discovery. More than 500 applications were submitted worldwide, and 18 research projects involving 22 institutions from 17 countries were selected. This research group is the only project selected from Japan. The project is scheduled to run for three years beginning in March 2026.

Klebsiella species are bacteria that can cause hospital-acquired infections, leading to severe illnesses such as pneumonia and sepsis, and pose a particularly serious threat to elderly individuals and critically ill patients. In recent years, strains resistant even to antibiotics considered the “last line of defense” have been increasing worldwide, making Klebsiella infections increasingly difficult to treat and creating a serious global public health challenge. These infections not only endanger patients’ lives but also place a significant strain on healthcare systems and society as a whole.

To address this situation, there is an urgent need to develop new antibiotics that act directly on bacteria through mechanisms entirely different from those of existing drugs.

In this project, the research team aims to identify antibiotic leads with novel MoA, distinct from existing and under development antibacterial agents, by utilizing state-of-the-art, multi omics technologies^※. This innovative approach is expected to help address the global challenge posed by multidrug-resistant bacteria.

※Multi omics technologies: genomic (DNA), transcriptomic (RNA), proteomic (proteins), and metabolomic (metabolites).

【1】Philanthropic giants join forces over antimicrobial resistance. Nat Biotechnol 43, 289 (2025).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-025-02620-0

Professor Daniel Ken Inaoka
Institute of Tropical Medicine

Professor Yohei Doi
Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases