They exist primarily as biosynthetic intermediates on the way to the carbapenem antibiotics.

Thienamycin was the first among the naturally occurring class of carbapenem antibiotics to be discovered and isolated.

One specific study showed a higher rate of carbapenem-resistance when using carbapenem antibiotics alone as compared to combination therapy with fluoroquinolones.

Carbapenem antibiotics were originally developed from thienamycin, a naturally derived product of Streptomyces cattleya.

Different drugs, such as ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem, and doripenem, belong to the class of carbapenem antibiotics.

Erwinia carotovora carR (control of carbapenem antibiotics biosynthesis)

However, the bla gene produces NDM-1, which is a carbapenemase beta-lactamase - an enzyme that hydrolyzes and inactivates these carbapenem antibiotics.

Recently, alarm has been raised over the spread of drug resistance to carbapenem antibiotics among these coliforms, due to production of the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase, NDM-1.

In a study where cultures of these bacteria were grown, tests showed that all the isolates were susceptible to carbapenem antibiotics, however, the vulnerability to other medicines differed among the groups.

In a Thailand based study of CRE in hospital settings, carbapenem resistance was defined as any strain which showed resistance to at least one out of three carbapenem antibiotics tested.