The rapid development of microbial resistance to conventional antibiotics has accelerated efforts to find anti-infectives with a novel mode-of-action, which are less prone to bacterial resistance. Intense nonclinical and clinical research is today ongoing to evaluate antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as potential next-generation antibiotics. Currently, multiple AMPs are assessed in late-stage clinical trials, not only as novel anti-infective drugs, but also as innovative product candidates for immunomodulation, promotion of wound healing, and prevention of post-operative scars. The efforts to translate AMP-based research findings into pharmaceutical product candidates are expected to accelerate in coming years due to technological advancements in multiple areas, including an improved understanding of the mechanism-of-action of AMPs, smart formulation strategies, and advanced chemical synthesis protocols. At the same time, it is recognized that cytotoxicity, low metabolic stability due to sensitivity to proteolytic degradation, and limited oral bioavailability are some of the key weaknesses of AMPs. Furthermore, the pricing and reimbursement environment for new antimicrobial products remains as a major barrier to the commercialization of AMPs.

微生物对常规抗生素耐药性的迅速发展加快了寻找具有新型作用方式的抗感染药的努力，而这种作用方式不易产生细菌耐药性。今天，正在进行大量的非临床和临床研究，以评估作为潜在的下一代抗生素的抗菌肽（AMP）。目前，在后期临床试验中对多种AMP进行了评估，不仅将其作为新型抗感染药，而且还可以作为免疫调节，促进伤口愈合和预防术后疤痕的创新候选产品。由于在多个领域的技术进步，包括对AMP的作用机理有了更深入的了解，预计将在未来几年加快将基于AMP的研究结果转化为候选药物的工作。智能配方策略和先进的化学合成方案。同时，人们认识到，AMPs的一些关键弱点是细胞毒性，由于对蛋白水解降解的敏感性而导致的低代谢稳定性以及有限的口服生物利用度。此外，新抗微生物产品的定价和报销环境仍然是AMPs商业化的主要障碍。