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Liverpool antibiotic research receives funding boost
SPR206 may be safer and just as effective as colistin.
Funding will support the development of SPR206

A grant of £250k has been awarded to the University of Liverpool to develop antibiotics for multi-drug resistant bacteria.

The money, awarded by biopharmaceutical company Spero Therapeutics, will be used by the University’s Centre for Antimicrobial Pharmacodynamics (CAP) for the development of SPR206.

Initial research suggests this new antibiotic may be safer and just as effective as colistin. In the NHS, colistin is only used as a last resort treatment of multi-drug resistant bacteria because it is highly toxic.

The research will be conducted by Dr Shampa Das and Professor William Hope.

Professor Hope said: “This funding will help support further work of the CAP, where the principal task is to identify regimens to take into first-in-patient clinical studies.”

The discovery of SPR206 and its development is being supported by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. 

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."