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Peer-reviewedCC BYAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

Clinical Development of Antibacterial Drugs: Recent Progress and Future Outlook.

  • Dipak Kathayat1
  • Andrea Vidovszky1
  • Yaasmeen Khan1
  • Ashley Denk1
  • Asmita Paudel1
  • Ashutosh Verma1
  • Yosra A Helmy2
  • Gireesh Rajashekara3
  1. 1Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN 37752, USA.
  2. 2Department of Veterinary Science, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.
  3. 3Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
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Abstract

The growing burden of antibiotic resistance demands the development of new antibacterials, including those with novel targets and mechanisms of action. This review summarizes key antibacterials that were in clinical development from 2010 to 2026, highlighting their antibacterial classes, mechanisms of action, antibacterial spectrum, clinical applications, development status, and resistance concerns. Antibacterial development during this period encompasses improvements to established antibiotic classes, new β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, siderophore cephalosporins, antibiotic hybrids, antibody-antibiotic conjugates, narrow-spectrum antibacterials, and antibacterials with novel chemical scaffolds, targets, and mechanisms of action. Successful clinical translation, promising emerging antibacterials, and innovations in antibacterial design and delivery are discussed. Lessons from discontinued development programs, including barriers related to safety, efficacy, and emerging resistance, are also highlighted to inform future antibacterial design and clinical trials. Continued investment in antibacterial discovery, early assessment of resistance potential and safety, exploration of nontraditional treatments, application of machine learning and artificial intelligence-guided methods, antibiotic stewardship, and implementation of One Health approaches will be important for addressing the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{kathayat2026clinical,
  title = {{Clinical Development of Antibacterial Drugs: Recent Progress and Future Outlook.}},
  author = {Dipak Kathayat and Andrea Vidovszky and Yaasmeen Khan and Ashley Denk and Asmita Paudel and Ashutosh Verma and Yosra A Helmy and Gireesh Rajashekara},
  journal = {Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/antibiotics15100993},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42938734},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Clinical Development of Antibacterial Drugs: Recent Progress and Future Outlook.
AU  - Dipak Kathayat
AU  - Andrea Vidovszky
AU  - Yaasmeen Khan
AU  - Ashley Denk
AU  - Asmita Paudel
AU  - Ashutosh Verma
AU  - Yosra A Helmy
AU  - Gireesh Rajashekara
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/07
JO  - Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
DO  - 10.3390/antibiotics15100993
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42938734
AB  - The growing burden of antibiotic resistance demands the development of new antibacterials, including those with novel targets and mechanisms of action. This review summarizes key antibacterials that were in clinical development from 2010 to 2026, highlighting their antibacterial classes, mechanisms of action, antibacterial spectrum, clinical applications, development status, and resistance concerns. Antibacterial development during this period encompasses improvements to established antibiotic classes, new β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, siderophore cephalosporins, antibiotic hybrids, antibody-antibiotic conjugates, narrow-spectrum antibacterials, and antibacterials with novel chemical scaffolds, targets, and mechanisms of action. Successful clinical translation, promising emerging antibacterials, and innovations in antibacterial design and delivery are discussed. Lessons from discontinued development programs, including barriers related to safety, efficacy, and emerging resistance, are also highlighted to inform future antibacterial design and clinical trials. Continued investment in antibacterial discovery, early assessment of resistance potential and safety, exploration of nontraditional treatments, application of machine learning and artificial intelligence-guided methods, antibiotic stewardship, and implementation of One Health approaches will be important for addressing the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance.
SN  - 2079-6382
ER  -