Repurposing non-antifungal drugs auranofin and pentamidine in combination as fungistatic antifungal agents against .

Fungal infection is a serious global health issue, causing approximately 1.5 million mortalities annually. However, clinically available anti-fungal drugs are limited, especially for multidrug-resistant fungal infections.

Repurposing Non-Antibiotic Drugs Auranofin and Pentamidine in Combination to Combat Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Objectives: Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, especially MDR Gram-negative bacteria, have posed a great challenge to healthcare systems globally. To address the shortage of effective antibiotics against MDR Gram-negative bacterial infections, two non-antibiotic drugs - auranofin (rheumatoid arthritis drug) and pentamidine (antiprotozoal drug) - are being repurposed to treat MDR Gram-negative bacteria by a combination approach.

Methods: Chequerboard microdilution assay was used to determine the interaction of auranofin and pentamidine against drug-susceptible and MDR Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae).