r8

r8 is an experimental **small-molecule antibiotic adjuvant/attachment** discovered by chemists at Stanford University and designed to be covalently linked to existing antibiotics rather than used as a standalone therapeutic. Its reported function is to help antibiotics traverse the outer defensive barriers of bacteria and improve drug access to protected bacterial targets, with particular interest in antibiotic-resistant pathogens such as **methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus** and biofilm-associated dormant bacteria. In published work, an r8-modified vancomycin construct, **vancomycin + r8**, showed improved bacterial adherence and enhanced activity against MRSA biofilm barriers in vitro and in animal models, supporting the concept of r8 as a drug-modifying small-molecule attachment intended to restore or enhance antibacterial efficacy.

Other names

small molecular attachmentantibiotic-penetrating attachment