Fluoroquinolones – the only clinically used DNA gyrase inhibitors – are effective against tuberculosis (TB) but are in limited clinical use for non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung infections due to intrinsic drug resistance. We sought to test alternative DNA gyrase inhibitors for anti-NTM activity.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Gyrase Inhibitors (MGIs), a subclass of Novel Bacterial Topoisomerase Inhibitors (NBTIs), were recently shown to be active against the tubercle bacillus. Here, we show that the MGI EC/11716 not only has potent anti-tubercular activity but is active against
M. abscessus
and
M. avium
in vitro
. Focusing on
M. abscessus
, which causes the most difficult to cure NTM disease, we show that EC/11716 is bactericidal, active against drug-tolerant biofilms, and efficacious in a murine model of
M. abscessus
lung infection. Based on resistant mutant selection experiments, we report a low frequency of resistance to EC/11716 and confirm DNA gyrase as its target. Our findings demonstrate the potential of NBTIs as anti-
M. abscessus
and possibly broad spectrum anti-mycobacterial agents.