Overview
- An international team reported that premethylenomycin C lactone, a late intermediate from Streptomyces coelicolor, shows up to about 100 times the in‑vitro potency of methylenomycin A and outperformes vancomycin against resistant Gram‑positive pathogens.
- Preliminary assays did not detect emergent resistance to the intermediate under test conditions, and early data suggest a distinct mode of action with a relatively simple structure that could facilitate manufacturing.
- A separate study led by Alejandro Vila, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, identified mechanisms by which bacteria evade cefiderocol, findings highlighted at a recent infectious‑disease conference in Atlanta.
- Hospitals are reconsidering when to prescribe cefiderocol, with researchers urging precision diagnostics to identify specific resistance determinants that predict benefit.
- Both lines of research remain preclinical or at the diagnostic‑implementation stage, with experts noting typical 10–15 year timelines for translating lab discoveries into approved treatments and the continued need for stewardship.