Neurothera Labs Inc., a clinical-stage biotech company and majority-owned subsidiary of SciSparc Ltd., announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted a U.S. patent for its proprietary combination of antimicrobials and cannabinoids. The patent covers compositions and methods designed to enhance the efficacy of existing antibiotics against resistant bacterial strains, joining previously granted patents for the same family in the U.S. and Europe.
The patented technology combines well-established antibiotics with cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, and in certain embodiments, N-acylethanolamines like palmitoylethanolamide. This synergistic approach demonstrated in preclinical studies enhances antimicrobial activity, potentially restoring the effectiveness of antibiotics that are ineffective as monotherapy against resistant Gram-positive pathogens like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. When administered with cannabinoids, the platform leverages the extensive long-term safety data of these antibiotics to help minimize risk.
Antimicrobial resistance represents a growing global health threat. According to a comprehensive analysis in The Lancet (September 2024), MRSA directly caused approximately 130,000 deaths worldwide in 2021, more than double the approximately 57,000 deaths in 2019, showing the largest increase in attributable mortality among resistant pathogens. Bacterial antimicrobial resistance overall directly caused 1.14 million deaths and was associated with 4.71 million deaths in 2021 worldwide, with a global median methicillin resistance rate of 27.1% in S. aureus bloodstream infections in 2023 according to the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Report, 2025.
The global antibiotics market is projected to reach approximately $58 billion in 2026, according to a report published by Mordor Intelligence entitled "Antibiotics Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)", driven by the escalating challenge of antimicrobial resistance. However, with superbugs like MRSA fueling the crisis, evidenced by a 30% rise in healthcare-acquired infections in the U.S. over recent years, the need for innovative solutions that enhance existing antibiotics' efficacy while improving safety is critical.
The "antimicrobial-sparing" effect shown in preclinical studies using Neurothera's proprietary combination may eliminate the constant requirements for new antibiotics to combat resistant microbial strains, helping mitigate serious side effects such as resistance development, organ toxicity, and gastrointestinal issues, all while capitalizing on the proven safety profiles of long-marketed antibiotics. According to the World Health Organization, pharmaceutical companies have increasingly shied away from developing new antibiotics due to prolonged development timelines, high costs, and the swift emergence of bacterial resistance, which collectively undermine profitability.
The process of bringing a novel antibiotic to market typically spans 10 to 15 years, involving rigorous clinical trials and regulatory hurdles that drive up expenses. Compounding this, bacteria can develop resistance to new antibiotics within just a few years of introduction, leading to restricted usage to preserve efficacy and resulting in limited sales potential compared to chronic disease treatments. As a result, major pharmaceutical firms have largely exited the field, leaving innovation to smaller entities despite the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
