Bradford academics have launched a £6 million bid to develop an MRSA-busting skin cream.

The cream would tackle the bacteria that can cause MRSA of the skin.

The cash would also help the team of experts in skin microbiology launch trials of a new cream to tackle the misery of teenage acne.

The team is ready to take the skin creams to the clinical trial stage if the £6 million can be raised to speed their development.

Syntopix Group, based at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation at the University of Bradford, hopes the cash can be raised from a flotation on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange.

The drug discovery and development company, which was founded by Dr Jon Cove and Dr Anne Eady and which focuses on skin diseases, made the announcement yesterday.

Chief executive of Syntopix, Rod Adams, said the products, which kill bacteria on the skin, were being developed by the best skin microbiologists in the world.

"What is so special about Syntopix is we are using known compounds in a novel way," he said. "We concentrate on compounds and combinations of compounds that have a history of safe use.

"At the moment we are focused on acne and Staphylococcus aureus infections."

The creams, which would be entirely new to the market, could be on the market within two years if they are over-the- counter creams.

The company currently has nine drug candidates awaiting pre-clinical and clinical trials to see if they are effective in treating acne and MRSA. They could help the NHS beat the MRSA superbug.

Earlier this month the Department of Health revealed figures which showed Bradford Teaching Hospitals has one of the worst rates of MRSA in the country.

The figures places the Trust 159th worst out of 173 acute trusts in the country.