The new antibiotic has been dubbed

Similar to the Trojan horse, the new antibiotic cefiderocol deceives the bacteria, causing them to put drugs into cells.

In the context of the familiar antibiotics being gradually neutralized, Shionogi (Japan) has developed a new drug called cefiderocol. According to the BBC, the principle of cefiderocol activity is like the use of Trojan horses in Greek mythology. Specifically, iron is used to deceive pathogenic bacteria, helping antibiotics penetrate them.

In the new antibiotic, cefiderocol binds to iron, causing bacteria to confuse and self-inject into their cells.

Testing of 448 people with kidney or urinary tract infections showed that cefiderocol is as effective as current methods. Dr. Simon Portsmouth, the lead researcher said for acute infections, a reaction of the immune system is to create an iron-poor environment. In response, bacteria increase iron levels. In the new antibiotic, cefiderocol binds to iron, causing bacteria to confuse and self-inject into their cells. Finally, the bacteria are destroyed.

The results are published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases and are considered very encouraging. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria cause many infections to be untreatable, threatening patients' lives. The Problem Assessment Report predicts that up to 2050, the world will have 10 million deaths annually due to drug resistance.

However, cefiderocol's supply is scarce. Professor Serge Mostowy of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK) said that the drug could not yet be put into great potential mass production. Professor identified more trials to ensure the safety and efficacy of cefiderocol.

The researchers were on a cefiderocol test in patients with pneumonia and had strong carbapenem-resistant antibiotic-resistant bacteria but found no effect of cefiderocol. Therefore, finding antibiotics with a completely bactericidal mechanism is an extremely urgent issue.