imipenem

Imipenem

Imipenem, sold under the brand name Primaxin among others, is a synthetic β-lactam antibiotic belonging to the carbapenems chemical class, developed by Merck scientists Burton Christensen, William Leanza, and Kenneth Wildonger in the mid-1970s. Carbapenems are highly resistant to the β-lactamase enzymes produced by many multiple drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, thus playing a key role in the treatment of infections not readily treated with other antibiotics. It is usually administered through intravenous injection. Imipenem was patented in 1975 and approved for medical use in 1985. It was developed via a lengthy trial-and-error search for a more stable version of the natural product thienamycin, which is produced by the bacterium Streptomyces cattleya. Thienamycin has antibacterial activity, but is unstable in aqueous solution, thus it is practically of no medicinal use. Imipenem has a broad spectrum of activity against aerobic and anaerobic, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Imipenem is a therapeutic alternative on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.