Current status of newer carbapenems
Bassetti, M.; Nicolini, L.; Esposito, S.; Righi, E.; Viscoli, C.
Current Medicinal Chemistry 16(5): 564-575
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 0929-8673 PMID: 19199922 Document Number: 636001
Beta-lactam antibiotics represent the most commonly prescribed antibacterial agents. Since many bacteria have developed resistance to older agents, new beta-lactams have been introduced constantly. In the late 1970s, a new class of exceptionally broad-spectrum beta-lactams, the carbapenems, was identified. The carbapenems, such as the most popular imipenem and meropenem, have the widest spectra of antibacterial activity of all the beta-lactams and provide excellent coverage of many gram-negative and gram-positive aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Despite the wide antibacterial spectrum, the carbapenems globally lack activity against Enterococcus faecium, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. We reviewed the principal characteristics of the novel carbapenems and their clinical implications. We included in our review: ertapenem, biapenem, panipenem, doripenem, tebipenem pivoxil and tomopenem.