A TOP North Yorkshire expert in MRSA - the hospital superbug that annually kills 5,000 people in the UK-- revealed today that his company believed it had developed a lifesaving remedy.

The discovery, made by Professor Sir Anthony Milnes Coates, who lives at Helperby, near Easingwold, comes as the superbug has been put high on the health agenda of political parties gearing up for the next General Election.

It also comes as hospital trusts in the region are totting up incidences of the disease for a new Department of Health report. In the year to March, 2004, there were 70 cases reported within NHS Trusts at York (31) Harrogate (six) and Scarborough (33).

Through Selby chartered accountants JW Pickles, Sir Anthony wants to raise £3.75 million in new shares in his company, Helperby Therapeutics Group plc, to fund a series of pharmaceutical research projects, including investigation of his new drug which laboratory tests have shown to kill the deadly dormant germs of MRSA.

He has also isolated a substance made by tuberculosis (TB) germs which, he says, will counter TB as well as treat pain in asthma, arthritis and cancer patients.

Having completed laboratory tests on his MRSA drug, Sir Anthony is hoping to start clinical trials on human beings by 2007.

He said: "Science works slowly. We first have to get clearance from the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and its equivalent, the SDA in the US."

Sir Anthony, one of the world's top experts in tuberculosis and professor of medical microbiology at London's St George's Hospital, said: "We grew dormant MRSA bacteria in test tubes and screened thousands of novel antibiotics until we found those which killed the germs.

"It's a big breakthrough because the dormant bacteria are resistant even to antibiotics like penicillin and tetracycline."

His new discovery would answer the problem that while active MRSA infection can be treated, many of the dormant germs are triggered into providing re-inforcements.

But he is hoping to start clinical trials of another life-saving substance by next year. Called chaperonin, it is the successful result of his efforts to isolate a drug secreted by the tuberculosis germ to shield its host from the pain of its presence.

The new funding will also fund research into chaperonin's use as a pain suppressant in cancer patients as well as the treatment of TB victims.

What is MRSA?

The "superbug" MRSA - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) - is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics.

Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most often among patients in hospitals and healthcare facilities such as nursing homes who have weakened immune systems.

It is commonly found on the skin and/or in the noses of healthy people. It is usually harmless but may get into the body, for example through breaks in the skin such as cuts or surgical incisions and cause infections.

These infections may be mild such as pimples or boils or serious, for example infection of the bloodstream, bones or joints. Symptoms can vary depending on the part of the body infected.

There are several strains of MRSA, with varying degrees of immunity to different antibiotics. Two particular strains, clones 15 and 16, are thought to be more infectious than the others.

MRSA can spread between patients, by direct or indirect physical contact. For example, hospital staff attending to an infected patient may become contaminated with MRSA and spread the bacteria to other patients.

Updated: 10:26 Tuesday, February 22, 2005