Critical shortage of new antibiotics in development against multidrug-resistant bacteria—Time to react is now

• Published in: Drug resistance updates 2011-04, Vol.14 (2), p.118-124
• Main Authors: Freire-Moran, Laura, Aronsson, Bo, Manz, Chris, Gyssens, Inge C, So, Anthony D, Monnet, Dominique L, Cars, Otto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibacterial drug development; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial resistance; Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Databases, Factual; Drug Administration Routes; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Discovery; Drug Resistance, Bacterial - drug effects; ECDC; EMA; Gap-analysis; Gram-Negative Bacteria - drug effects; Gram-Negative Bacteria - growth & development; Gram-Positive Bacteria - drug effects; Gram-Positive Bacteria - growth & development; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Infectious Disease; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Multidrug resistant bacteria; Novel antimicrobials; ReAct
• ISSN: 1368-7646; 1532-2084; 1532-2084
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2011.02.003

Abstract Two commercial databases (Pharmaprojects and Adis Insight R&D) were queried for antibacterial agents in clinical development. Particular attention was given to antibacterial agents for systemic administration. For each agent, reviewers were requested to indicate whether its spectrum of activity covered a set of selected multidrug-resistant bacteria, and whether it had a new mechanism of action or a new target. In addition, PubMed was searched for antibacterial agents in development that appeared in review articles. Out of 90 agents that were considered to fulfil the inclusion criteria for the analysis, 66 were new active substances. Fifteen of these could be systemically administered and were assessed as acting via a new or possibly new mechanism of action or on a new or possibly new target. Out of these, 12 agents were assessed as having documented in vitro activity against antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive bacteria and only four had documented in vitro activity against antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Of these four, two acted on new or possibly new targets and, crucially, none acted via new mechanisms of action. There is an urgent need to address the lack of effective treatments to meet the increasing public health burden caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, in particular against Gram-negative bacteria.