HZI: New Natural Products Against TB: From Rare Bacteria to the Basis for New Drugs

21 January 2026

Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) press release

For decades, TB has been one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. Resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are particularly problematic, as many established drugs are becoming increasingly ineffective against them. However, a research team from the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and Saarland University has now discovered a new family of natural substances that exhibit excellent activity against the TB pathogen. They have also investigated these substances so comprehensively that targeted further development is possible for the first time. The researchers have now published their findings in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Read the full press release here.

Source: Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)