TUL108

TUL108 is an investigational antibacterial agent developed by The United Laboratories (珠海联邦制药) for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI). It is a novel siderophore cephalosporin designed to address infections caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The drug utilizes a siderophore-mediated active transport mechanism, often referred to as a "Trojan horse" strategy, where its siderophore moiety chelates ferric iron to facilitate active transport across the bacterial outer membrane via iron uptake systems. Once inside the periplasmic space, TUL108 binds to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), thereby inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis and leading to cell death. This mechanism allows TUL108 to bypass common resistance pathways such as porin channel mutations and efflux pump upregulation. TUL108 is currently undergoing Phase I clinical evaluation in China to assess its safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers.