Marine Bacteria Compound Kills Brain-Eating Amoeba in Four Hours

Researchers at UC San Diego isolated rutamycin B from marine bacteria; in lab tests it neutralized five strains of Naegleria fowleri within about four hours. At low doses the compound was 200–300 times more toxic to the amoeba than to human cells. Animal and human trials are still needed.

• Rutamycin B works in 4 hours, a quarter of amphotericin B's time
• 200–300 times more toxic to the amoeba than to human cells
• Combined with amphotericin B, only 3–10% of the dose is needed
• PAM kills over 97% of patients; about 150 US cases ever reported