Drug Design, Development and Therapy (Jul 2016)
Ceftazidime/avibactam: a novel cephalosporin/nonbeta-lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and complicated intra-abdominal infections
Abstract
Jose A Hidalgo,1,2 Celeste M Vinluan,1–3 Nishaal Antony3 1UTEP/UT Austin Cooperative Pharmacy Program, College of Health Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, 2Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 3Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX, USA Abstract: There has been greater interest in developing additional antimicrobial agents due to the increasing health care costs and resistance resulting from bacterial pathogens to currently available treatment options. Gram-negative organisms including Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are some of the most concerning threats due to their resistance mechanisms: extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase enzymes. Ceftazidime is a third-generation broad-spectrum cephalosporin with activity against P. aeruginosa and avibactam is a novel nonbeta-lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor. Avycaz®, the trade name for this new combination antibiotic, restores the activity of ceftazidime against some of the previously resistant pathogens. Avycaz was approved in 2015 for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, and complicated intra-abdominal infections with the addition of metronidazole in patients with little to no other treatment options. This review article assesses the clinical trials and data that led to the approval of this antibiotic, in addition to its spectrum of activity and limitations. Keywords: ceftazidime/avibactam, Avycaz, complicated urinary tract infections, complicated intra-abdominal infections
