Siderophore Conjugates of Daptomycin are Potent Inhibitors of Carbapenem Resistant Strains of <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>

Development of resistance to antibiotics is a major medical problem. One approach to extending the utility of our limited antibiotic arsenal is to repurpose antibiotics by altering their bacterial selectivity. Many antibiotics that are used to treat infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria might be made effective against Gram-negative bacterial infections, if they could circumvent permeability barriers and antibiotic deactivation processes associated with Gram-negative bacteria. Herein, we report that covalent attachment of the normally Gram-positive-only antibiotic, daptomycin, with iron sequestering siderophore mimetics that are recognized by Gram-negative bacteria, provides conjugates that are active against virulent strains of <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, including carbapenemase and cephalosporinase producers. The result is the generation of a new set of antibiotics designed to target bacterial infections that have been designated as being of dire concern