New antibiotics targeting Gram-negative bacilli.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global health threat, increasing mortality and healthcare costs.
• Responsible antibiotic use and new drug development are crucial strategies for healthcare professionals to combat AMR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review newly developed antibiotics in the pipeline.
• To assess their development status, mechanism of action, activity spectrum, and approved indications.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of Medline and ClinicalTrials.org for approved and pipeline antibiotics in Phase 3 or New Drug Application (NDA) stages.
• Analysis of data from Phase 3 clinical trials.

Main Results:

• Several new antibiotics have been identified, with many targeting common infections like skin and pneumonia.
• Limited availability of new agents against high-priority resistant organisms was observed.
• Most new antibiotics are based on existing molecules or agents.

Conclusions:

• While new antibiotics are emerging, there is an urgent need for agents effective against high-priority resistant organisms, including ESBL-producing Enterobacterales, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, *Acinetobacter baumannii*, and *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*.
• Current development focuses on addressing existing threats, but innovation for critical pathogens remains insufficient.