The World Health Organization has released three new Target Product Profiles (TPPs) aimed at guiding the development of antibacterial medicines to combat drug-resistant bacteria responsible for severe infections such as bloodstream infections, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and meningitis.
The TPPs outline the minimum and preferred characteristics for future antibiotics and are intended to help researchers, pharmaceutical developers, regulators and funding agencies align innovation with the most urgent clinical needs.
The new profiles focus on three critical areas: treatments for severe multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections, therapies for antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive infections in immunosuppressed and critically ill patients, and new medicines for bacterial meningitis. These infections are associated with high mortality rates and pose significant pressure on healthcare systems globally.
According to the WHO’s 2025 antibacterial pipeline analysis, around 90 antibacterial candidates are currently in preclinical or clinical development. However, only a limited number of these candidates target priority pathogens, and even fewer represent truly innovative approaches.
The newly released TPPs also highlight key bacterial threats such as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are known to cause life-threatening infections including hospital-acquired pneumonia and bloodstream infections.
In addition, the guidance addresses infections caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in critically ill or immunocompromised patients, as well as drug-resistant bacterial meningitis, which continues to cause significant mortality and long-term disabilities worldwide.
Each TPP provides guidance on essential attributes such as safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and treatment suitability across diverse patient groups, including children, neonates and critically ill patients.
The initiative forms part of a broader effort by the WHO, in partnership with the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, to strengthen the global antibiotic pipeline and encourage greater investment and collaboration in antimicrobial research and development.
