New "super antibiotic" stops deadly gut infection without destroying the microbiome

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Source: ScienceDaily Health

Original: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260311004824.htm...

Published: Wed, 11 Mar 2026 20:19:45 EDT

The newly developed antibiotic EVG7 effectively fights against the intestinal bacterium Clostridioides difficile, which causes dangerous infections with a high risk of relapse.[1][2] Clinical isolates of C. difficile are up to 16 times more susceptible to EVG7 (MIC 0.063–0.25 mg/L) versus vancomycin (MIC 0.5–2 mg/L).[1][2] In a mouse study, a low dose of EVG7 (0.04 mg/ml in drinking water) treated the primary infection better and prevented its recurrence than a 10-fold higher dose of vancomycin.[2][3] EVG7 spares beneficial bacteria from the Lachnospiraceae family, which protect against C. difficile colonization.[1][2][3] These bacteria were preserved in mice treated with a low dose of EVG7, unlike vancomycin.[3] The study was published in Nature Communications in October 2025.[2] EVG7 is a modified version of vancomycin with higher efficacy at low doses.[1][4]