Update on clinical researches on novel antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria

Therapeutic options are limited for drug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial (GNB) infections, posing great threats to human health. Major pathogens include extended-spectrum β-lactamases or AmpC β-lactamases and carbapenem-resistant bacteria. Among them, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae are the most difficult to be treated. In recent years, a variety of novel antibiotics with anti-GNB activity have been developed in the world. In this paper, ten novel antibiotics are reviewed, including temocillin, cefiderocol, ceftolozone/tazobactam, ceftazidime/avibactam, cefepime/enmetazobactam, meropenem/vaborbactam, imipenem-cilastatin/relebactam, aztreonam/avibactam, eravacycline and plazomicin. Their mechanisms of action, antibacterial spectrum and potential side effects were introduced. Combined with the latest clinical studies of hospital-acquired pneumonia/ventilator-associated pneumonia (HAP/VAP), intra-abdominal infection (IAI) and complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI), the indications and potential clinical applications are summarized.