ReviewNew drugs for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections in the era of increasing antimicrobial resistance

•Resistance problems vary greatly worldwide in intra-abdominal infections (IAIs) and are of serious concern in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America and the Middle East.•A number of novel antibiotics, including ceftolozane/tazobactam, ceftazidime/avibactam, eravacycline and imipenem/relebactam, have completed clinical trials and were targeted at ESBL-producing and AmpC-producing pathogens.•New lipoglycopeptides and oxazolidinones provide options against resistant Gram-positive pathogens for treating healthcare-associated IAIs.

The continuing increase in multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) worldwide has created new challenges in treating complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs). A number of novel antimicrobial agents have been developed against resistant pathogens. To target extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing pathogens, novel β-lactam antibiotics, such as ceftolozane/tazobactam, ceftazidime/avibactam, aztreonam/avibactam, imipenem/relebactam and S-649266, are antimicrobial alternatives for cIAIs. Two new drugs, eravacycline and plazomicin, have activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and ESBL-producers. New lipoglycopeptides and oxazolidinones provide feasible options against resistant Gram-positive pathogens. These novel antimicrobials may play a role in improving the clinical outcomes of cIAIs caused by MDROs.