01 April 2026 : Editorial
Editorial: New Target Product Profiles From the WHO as Climate Change, Global Population Migration, and Conflict Drive Antimicrobial Resistance
Dinah V. Parums
A 1*
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.953550
Med Sci Monit 2026; 32:e953550
Table 2 The 2026 World Health Organization (WHO) target product profiles (TPPs) for new antibacterial agents to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) [6].
| Target product profile group | Bacterial infections |
|---|---|
| Severe multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections | Gram-negative carbapenem-resistant , , and , which can cause sepsis, hospital-acquired infections, and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia. Bacteria in this first TPP group cause infections that lead to prolonged hospital stays and increased admissions to intensive care units (ICUs), with an impact on healthcare services and the economy. Infections have a high mortality rate without effective antibiotics |
| Antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive infections in immunosuppressed and critically ill patients | Severe Gram-positive infections, including vancomycin-resistant that can also result in fatal sepsis |
| Community-acquired and health care-associated bacterial meningitis | Penicillin- and cephalosporin-resistant community-acquired infections, and health care-associated meningitis. Bacterial meningitis has a high mortality rate, and patients who survive can have long-term sequelae that can include epilepsy, loss of hearing, or cognitive decline, which makes AMR in bacterial meningitis a serious concern that requires urgent innovations in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment |