Scientists at the University of Liverpool, UK, have identified a new class of antibiotic that shows strong activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been designated a major global health crisis by the World Health Organization (WHO), contributing to almost five million deaths each year. The newly developed antibiotic platform, Novltex, has demonstrated potent efficacy against both MRSA and E. faecium. The work was led by Ishwar Singh, reader in antimicrobial drug discovery at the University of Liverpool. Building on this research, Novltex is based on a library of synthetic teixobactins and is designed to target lipid II, an essential building block of bacterial cell walls.