Imipenem is a carbapenem antibiotic normally administered with cilastatin to treat a variety of infections. Imipenem is a semisynthetic thienamycin that has a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, including many multiresistant strains.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed · 4 references
Imipenem acts as an antimicrobial through the inhibition of cell wall synthesis of various gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. This inhibition of cell wall synthesis in gram-negative bateria is attained by binding to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). In E. coli and selected strains of P. aeruginosa, imipenem has shown to have the highest affinity to PBP-2, PBP-1a, and PBP-1b. This inhibition of PBPs prevents the bacterial cell from adding to the peptidoglycan polymer which forms the bacterial cell wall eventually leading to cell death.
- Primary indication
- Imipenem is indicated, in combination with cilastatin with or without relebactam, for the treatment of bacterial infections including respiratory, skin, bone, gynecologic, urinary tract, and intra-abdominal as well as septicemia and endocarditis.Curator reviewed · 15 structured indications
- Formula / weight
- C12H17N3O4S · 299.346 g/mol (avg)
- First approval
- Canada, 2005 · United States, 1985 · European Union, 2020
- Brand names
Resolves to
ZSKVGTPCRGIANV-ZXFLCMHBSA-NSMILES[H][C@]12CC(SCC\N=C\N)=C(N1C(=O)[C@]2([H])[C@@H](C)O)C(O)=OWhat you can answer from here — as of September 23, 2026
Which drugs share a target with Imipenem, and which of those have an active Phase 3 trial?
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