Use of statins in overcoming resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in bacterial species synthetizing isoprenoids using the mevalonate synthetic pathway

A beta-lactamase resistant penicillin for use in a method of treating a bacterial infection in a subject in need thereof, wherein said bacterial infection is caused by a bacterial population resistant to said penicillin from a bacterial species characterized by comprising isoprenoid lipids in its bacterial membrane and synthetizing isoprenoids using the mevalonate synthetic pathway,

• wherein presence of the mevalonate isoprenoid synthesis pathway is measured by determining in said bacterial population the presence of a gene characteristic of the mevalonate synthetic route selected from the group consisting of acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase gene (atoB), HMG-CoA synthase gene (hmgs), HMG-CoA reductase gene (hmgr), mevalonate kinase gene (mvk) and mevalonate-PP decarboxylase gene (mpd) or the gene product of any thereof;
• wherein said subject is further administered, before or simultaneously to said penicillin, a statin of formula (I) or (Ia), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or stereoisomer thereof:
• wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, OH, CH3, CH2CH3, and halogen, and
• wherein said statin is for use in reducing or reversing resistance to said penicillin in said resistant bacterial population.