This announcement is seen as a major breakthrough in the fight against resistance with the discovery of patented 'resistance breaker' compounds.

These new compounds are termed as Antibiotic Resistance Breakers. When an Antibiotic Resistance Breaker is combined with an old obsolete antibiotic, it can rejuvenate it and make it active against highly resistant bacteria. Antibiotic Resistance Breakers can potentially rescue several different classes of antibiotics.

Furthermore, this approach requires the development of fewer novel compounds, is less risky and less costly than the traditional "one antibiotic" route.

Speaking on the occasion, Cadila Pharmaceutical's CMD, Dr Rajiv I Modi, said, "The founder chairman of our company, Shri I A Modi, believed in providing affordable medicines for the masses through innovative and cutting-edge research & development (R&D). This discovery will open new avenues against resistant organisms and is very timely in view of global concerns about rapidly growing bacterial resistance against current antibiotics. Cadila Pharmaceutical's collaboration with Helperby can help the mankind win the battle against the microbes and hopefully save millions of lives in coming years."

Travelling with the UK's Trade Delegation to India, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, Helperby signed its first major licensing deal with Cadila Pharmaceuticals to take the compound through further clinical trials, approvals and into commercialization.

Helperby will supply Cadila Pharmaceuticals with Antibiotic Resistance Breakers, while Cadila Pharmaceuticals will develop the combinations with old antibiotics.

Helperby's chief scientific officer, Prof Anthony Coates commented, "The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens has accelerated, while the pipeline for new anti-microbial drugs has all but run dry - this exciting and timely partnership with Cadila Pharmaceuticals offers us all hope."