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Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (KPC-PA) has been reported sporadically. However, epidemiological and antimicrobial susceptibility data specific for KPC-PA are lacking. We collected 374 carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA) isolates from seven hospitals in China from June 2016 to February 2019 and identified the blaKPC-2 gene in 40.4% (n = 151/374) of the isolates. Approximately one-half of all KPC-PA isolates (n = 76/151; 50.3%) were resistant to ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI). Combining Kraken2 taxonomy identification and Nanopore sequencing, we identified eight plasmid types, five of which carried blaKPC-2, and 13 combination patterns of these plasmid types. In addition, we identified IS26-ΔTn6296 and Tn1403-like–ΔTn6296 as the two mobile genetic elements that mediated blaKPC-2 transmission. blaKPC-2 plasmid curing in 28 strains restored CAZ-AVI susceptibility, suggesting that blaKPC-2 was the mediator of CAZ-AVI resistance. Furthermore, the blaKPC-2 copy number was found to correlate with KPC expression and, therefore, CAZ-AVI resistance. Taken together, our results suggest that KPC-PA is becoming a clinical threat and that using CAZ-AVI to treat this specific pathogen should be done with caution. IMPORTANCE Previous research has reported several cases of KPC-PA strains and three KPC-encoding P. aeruginosa plasmid types in China. However, the prevalence and clinical significance of KPC-PA are not available. In addition, the susceptibility of the strains to CAZ-AVI remains unknown. Samples in this study were collected from seven tertiary hospitals prior to CAZ-AVI clinical approval in China. Therefore, our results represent a retrospective study establishing the baseline efficacy of the novel β-lactam/β-lactamase combination agent for treating KPC-PA infections. The observed correlation between the blaKPC copy number and CAZ-AVI resistance suggests that close monitoring of the susceptibility of the strain during treatment is required. It would also be beneficial to screen for the blaKPC gene in CRPA strains for antimicrobial surveillance purposes.

We evaluated the performance of ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftolozane-tazobactam MicroScan Neg multidrug-resistant MIC 1 (NMR1) panel for clinical carbapenem-nonsusceptible Gram-negative bacilli isolates. We evaluated 212 clinically significant carbapenem-nonsusceptible Gram-negative bacilli (139 Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 73 KPC-producing Enterobacterales) from 71 Brazilian hospitals (2013 to 2020). Ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftolozane-tazobactam MICs from the panel were compared with a broth microdilution (BMD) test as the reference method. Essential agreement (EA) and categorical agreement (CA) were assessed. For P. aeruginosa, antimicrobial susceptibility testing error rates were calculated using the error-rate bound method. Discrepancies were initially observed with 11 isolates; 4 resolved after retesting, 2 in favor of the NMR1 and 2 in favor of the BMD method. The ceftazidime-avibactam EA (overall and evaluable) was 100% for P. aeruginosa and Enterobacterales. The CA was 100% for Enterobacterales and 98.6% for P. aeruginosa. The ceftolozane-tazobactam EA was 98.6% and 100% (overall and evaluable, respectively), and the CA was 96.4% for P. aeruginosa. For ceftazidime/avibactam, no very major error (VME) was found, and the major error (ME) rate was 4.2% (2/48). For ceftolozane-tazobactam and P. aeruginosa, using the CLSI breakpoints, the minor error (mE) was 11.4%, and no VME or ME was found. While using EUCAST breakpoints, the VME was 11.4% with no ME. The mE becomes ME or VME in the absence of the intermediate category. All categorical errors were also within 1 log of MIC variation, and the adjusted error rate for CLSI/EUCAST was 0% (0/212). The NMR1 panel is an option to test ceftazidime-avibactam for KPC-producing Enterobacterales and carbapenem-nonsusceptible P. aeruginosa. When a MIC of 4 mg/liter for ceftolozane-tazobactam is obtained using this method, an alert could be created, and the results could be confirmed by an alternative method.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CR-PA) producing metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) cause severe nosocomial infections with no defined treatment. The combination of aztreonam (ATM) with ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) is a potential therapeutic option, but there is no approved, feasible testing method for use in clinical laboratories to assess the activity of two antimicrobials in combination. Here, we evaluate the performance of four ATM-CZA combination testing methods, as follows: broth disk elution (DE), disk stacking (DS), strip stacking (SS), and strip crossing (SX). We used 10 clinical, representative Enterobacterales and 6 P. aeruginosa isolates harboring MBL, Guiana extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (GES), or non-MBL enzymes. Four of these isolates were from clinical cases treated by ATM-CZA. All CRE producing NDM and CR-PA producing GES that were resistant to ATM and CZA alone were susceptible to the ATM-CZA combination. P. aeruginosa generating NDM or VIM remained resistant to ATM-CZA, likely due to non-β-lactamase mechanisms, and all other isolates were susceptible to ATM or CZA alone. The most accurate, precise, and reproducible methods of low complexity were disc elution and both strip methods (SX and SS) using MIC test strips (MTS) , all with 100% sensitivity and specificity, followed by Etest with SX (95.83% sensitivity, 100% specificity) and SS (87.5% sensitivity, 100% specificity). DS had the lowest performance. DE is particularly valuable in low-resource settings that routinely use disks. MTS yielded higher categorical agreements by SX (94%) and SS (84%), relative to Etest by SX (90%) and SS (82%). P. aeruginosa results yielded the majority of the errors. These methods may allow laboratories to inform clinical decision making like combination therapy for severe infections caused by extensively drug-resistant Enterobacterales.

Ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) has emerged as a promising solution to the lack of new antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Data from in vitro assays of CZA combinations, however, are scarce. The objective of our study was to perform a time-kill analysis of the effectiveness of CZA alone and in combination with other antibiotics against a collection of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) P. aeruginosa isolates. Twenty-one previously characterized representative XDR P. aeruginosa isolates were selected. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested by broth microdilution, and results were interpreted using CLSI criteria. The time-kill experiments were performed in duplicate for each isolate. Antibiotics were tested at clinically achievable free-drug concentrations. Different treatment options, including CZA alone and combined with amikacin, aztreonam, meropenem, and colistin, were evaluated to identify the most effective combinations. Seven isolates were resistant to CZA (MIC ≥ 16/4 mg/liter), including four metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-carrying isolates and two class A carbapenemases. Five of them were resistant or intermediate to aztreonam (MIC ≥ 16 mg/liter). Three isolates were resistant to amikacin (MIC ≥ 64 mg/liter) and one to colistin (MIC ≥ 4 mg/liter). CZA monotherapy had a bactericidal effect in 100% (14/14) of the CZA-susceptible isolates. Combination therapies achieved a greater overall reduction in bacterial load than monotherapy for the CZA-resistant isolates. CZA plus colistin was additive or synergistic in 100% (7/7) of the CZA-resistant isolates, while CZA plus amikacin and CZA plus aztreonam were additive or synergistic in 85%. CZA combined with colistin, amikacin, or aztreonam was more effective than monotherapy against XDR P. aeruginosa isolates. A CZA combination could be useful for treating XDR P. aeruginosa infections, including those caused by CZA-resistant isolates. IMPORTANCE The emergence of resistance to antibiotics is a serious public health problem worldwide and can be a cause of mortality. For this reason, antibiotic treatment is compromised, and we have few therapeutic options to treat infections. The main goal of our study is to search for new treatment options for infections caused by difficult-to-treat resistant germs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium distributed throughout the world with the ability to become resistant to most available antibiotics. Ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) emerged as a promising solution to the lack of new antibiotics against infections caused by P. aeruginosa strains. This study intended to analyze the effect of CZA alone or in combination with other available antibiotics against P. aeruginosa strains. The combination of CZA with other antibiotics could be more effective than monotherapy against extensively drug-resistant P. aeruginosa strains.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae, represent a major threat to public health due to their rapid spread. Novel drug combinations such as ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA), combining a broad-spectrum cephalosporin along with a broad-spectrum β-lactamase inhibitor, have recently been introduced and have been shown to exhibit excellent activity toward multidrug-resistant KPC-producing Enterobacterales strains. However, CZA-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates are now being increasingly reported, mostly corresponding to producers of KPC variants. In this study, we evaluated in vitro the nature of the mutations in the KPC-2 and KPC-3 β-lactamase sequences (the most frequent KPC-type enzymes) that lead to CZA resistance and the subsequent effects of these mutations on susceptibility to other β-lactam antibiotics. Single-step in vitro selection assays were conducted, resulting in the identification of a series of mutations in the KPC sequence which conferred the ability of those mutated enzymes to confer resistance to CZA. Hence, 16 KPC-2 variants and 10 KPC-3 variants were obtained. Production of the KPC variants in an Escherichia coli recombinant strain resulted in a concomitant increased susceptibility to broad-spectrum cephalosporins and carbapenems, with the exceptions of ceftazidime and piperacillin-tazobactam, compared to wild-type KPC enzymes. Enzymatic assays showed that all of the KPC variants identified exhibited an increased affinity toward ceftazidime and a slightly decreased sensitivity to avibactam, sustaining their impact on CZA resistance. However, their respective carbapenemase activities were concurrently negatively impacted.

The mechanisms underlying an in vivo switch in the resistance phenotype of P. aeruginosa after ceftazidime-avibactam treatment was investigated. The initial isolate (a blood culture) was resistant to meropenem but remained susceptible to antipseudomonal cephalosporins and combinations with β-lactamase inhibitors. One week after ceftazidime-avibactam therapy, a subsequent isolate (a rectal swab) recovered from the same patient showed the opposite phenotype. Whole-genome sequence analysis revealed a single SNP difference between both (ST235) isolates, leading to a P162S change in bla(GES-5), creating bla(GES-15). Thus, bla(GES-1), bla(GES-5), and bla(GES-15) were cloned and expressed in the wild-type strain PAO1. Susceptibility profiles confirmed the P162S substitution reverted the carbapenemase phenotype determined by the G170S change of GES-5 back into the ESBL phenotype of GES-1.

Ceftazidime (CAZ)-avibactam (AVI) is a β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combination with activity against type A and type C β-lactamases. Resistance emergence has been seen, with multiple mechanisms accounting for the resistance. We performed four experiments in the dynamic hollow-fiber infection model, delineating the linkage between drug exposure and both the rate of bacterial kill and resistance emergence by all mechanisms. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate had MICs of 1.0 mg/liter (CAZ) and 4 mg/liter (AVI). We demonstrated that the time at ≥4.0 mg/liter AVI was linked to the rate of bacterial kill. Linkage to resistance emergence/suppression was more complex. In one experiment in which CAZ and AVI administration was intermittent and continuous, respectively, and in which AVI was given in unitary steps from 1 to 8 mg/liter, AVI at up to 3 mg/liter allowed resistance emergence, whereas higher values did not. The threshold value was 3.72 mg/liter as a continuous infusion to counterselect resistance (AVI area under the concentration-time curve [AUC] of 89.3 mg · h/liter). The mechanism involved a 7-amino-acid deletion in the Ω-loop region of the Pseudomonas-derived cephalosporinase (PDC) β-lactamase. Further experiments in which CAZ and AVI were both administered intermittently with regimens above and below the AUC of 89.3 mg · h/liter resulted in resistance in the lower-exposure groups. Deletion mutants were not identified. Finally, in an experiment in which paired exposures as both continuous and intermittent infusions were performed, the lower value of 25 mg · h/liter by both profiles allowed selection of deletion mutants. Of the five instances in which these mutants were recovered, four had a continuous-infusion profile. Both continuous-infusion administration and low AVI AUC exposures have a role in selection of this mutation.

In this multisite study, Vitek 2 AST-Gram-Negative Ceftazidime/Avibactam test results for 1,073 isolates (866 Enterobacterales and 207 Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were compared to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) broth microdilution (BMD) reference method. The results were analyzed for essential agreement (EA), category agreement (CA), major error rates, and very major error rates following FDA/ISO performance criteria using the FDA-recognized CLSI/EUCAST breakpoints (sensitive [S], ≤8/4 μg/ml; resistant [R], ≥16/4 μg/ml). The overall EA was 94.5% (1,014/1,073) and CA was 98.7% (1,059/1,073). No very major errors were reported. The major error rate was 1.4% (14/998). Out of 14 major errors, 9 were within EA. Based on the EA and lack of an intermediate category for ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA), the adjusted major error rate for FDA criteria was 0.5% (5/998). The performance for ISO criteria after error resolutions included EA of 94.5% (1,014/1,073), CA of 98.9% (1,061/1,073), major error of 1.2% (12/998), and no very major error. Vitek 2 met the ISO and FDA criteria of ≥95% reproducibility and ≥95% quality control (QC) results within acceptable ranges for QC organisms. Vitek 2 overall performance for Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa met or exceeded the FDA and ISO performance criteria; thus, it is a reliable alternative to the BMD reference method for routine CZA susceptibility testing.

This study reports on the characterization of a Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolate showing high-level resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam associated with the production of KPC-53, a KPC-3 variant exhibiting a Leu167Glu168 duplication in the Ω-loop and a loss of carbapenemase activity. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) revealed the presence of two copies of bla KPC-53 , located on a pKpQIL-like plasmid and on a plasmid prophage of the Siphoviridae family, respectively.

Antibiotic combinations including ceftazidime/avibactam are frequently employed to combat KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp), though such combinations have not been rationally optimized. Clinical KPC-Kp isolates with common genes encoding aminoglycoside modifying enzymes (AMEs), aac(6')-Ib' or aac(6')-Ib, were used in static time-kill assays (n=4 isolates) and the hollow fiber infection model (HFIM) (n=2 isolates) to evaluate the activity of gentamicin, amikacin, and ceftazidime/avibactam alone and in combinations. A short course, one-time aminoglycoside dose was also evaluated. Gentamicin plus ceftazidime/avibactam was then tested in a mouse pneumonia model. Synergy with ceftazidime/avibactam was more common with amikacin for aac(6')-Ib' containing KPC-Kp but more common with gentamicin for aac(6')-Ib containing isolates in time-kills. In the HFIM, although the isolates were aminoglycoside-susceptible at baseline, aminoglycoside monotherapies displayed variable initial killing followed by regrowth and resistance emergence. Ceftazidime/avibactam combined with amikacin or gentamicin resulted in undetectable counts 50h sooner than ceftazidime/avibactam monotherapy against KPC-Kp with aac(6')-Ib'. Ceftazidime/avibactam monotherapy failed to eradicate KPC-Kp with aac(6')-Ib and a combination with gentamicin led to undetectable counts 70h sooner than with amikacin. A one-time aminoglycoside dose with ceftazidime/avibactam provided similar killing to aminoglycosides dosed for 7 days. In the mouse pneumonia model (n=1 isolate), gentamicin and ceftazidime/avibactam achieved a 6.0 log10CFU/lung reduction at 24h, which was significantly greater than either monotherapy (P

This study evaluated the in vitro activity of cefepime-zidebactam in comparison with that of ceftazidime-avibactam and other comparators against clinically significant Gram-negative bacillus isolates. A total of 3,400 nonduplicate Gram-negative clinical isolates were collected from 45 medical centers across China in the CHINET Program in 2018, including Enterobacterales (n = 2,228), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 657), and Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 515). The activities of cefepime-zidebactam and 20 comparators were determined by broth microdilution as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Cefepime-zidebactam demonstrated potent activity against almost all Enterobacterales (MIC50/90, 0.125/1 mg/liter) and good activity against P. aeruginosa (MIC50/90, 2/8 mg/liter). Among the 373 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates, 57.3% (213/373) and 15.3% (57/373) were positive for bla KPC-2 and bla NDM, respectively. Cefepime-zidebactam showed a MIC of ≤2 mg/liter for 92.0% (196/213) of bla KPC-2 producers and 79.7% (47/59) of bla NDM producers. Ceftazidime-avibactam showed good in vitro activity against Enterobacterales (MIC50/90, 0.25/2 mg/liter; 94.0% susceptible) and P. aeruginosa (MIC50/90, 4/16 mg/liter; 86.9% susceptible). Ceftazidime-avibactam was active against 9.1% of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli isolates (63.6% were bla NDM producers) and 84.6% of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates (74.3% were bla KPC producers). Most (90.1%) bla KPC-2 producers were susceptible to ceftazidime-avibactam. Cefepime-zidebactam demonstrated limited activity (MIC50/90, 16/32 mg/liter) against the 515 A. baumannii isolates (79.2% were carbapenem resistant), and ceftazidime-avibactam was less active (MIC50/90, 64/>64 mg/liter). Cefepime-zidebactam was highly active against clinical isolates of Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa, including bla KPC-2-positive Enterobacterales and bla NDM-positive Enterobacterales and carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa And ceftazidime-avibactam was highly active against bla KPC-2-positive Enterobacterales and carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa.

Volume 58, no. 9, e00965-20, 2020, [https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00965-20][1]. This article was published on 24 August 2020 with a CC BY 4.0 copyright line (“Copyright © 2020 Sadek et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0

Serine β-lactamases are dominant causes of β-lactam resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. Recently, this has driven clinical deployment of the β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor pairs ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem/vaborbactam. We show that four steps, i.e., ompK36 and ramR mutation plus carriage of OXA-232 and KPC-3-D178Y variant β-lactamases, confer ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem/vaborbactam resistance when both pairs are used together.

The SuperCAZ/AVI medium was developed for screening ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) resistance among Gram-negative bacteria (Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). It was evaluated using 50 CZA-susceptible and 42 CZA-resistant Gram-negative isolates. Its sensitivity and specificity of detection were 100%. Excellent performance of the medium was also observed by testing spiked stools, with the lower limit of detection ranging from 101 to 102 CFU/ml., The SuperCAZ/AVI medium was developed for screening ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) resistance among Gram-negative bacteria (Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). It was evaluated using 50 CZA-susceptible and 42 CZA-resistant Gram-negative isolates. Its sensitivity and specificity of detection were 100%. Excellent performance of the medium was also observed by testing spiked stools, with the lower limit of detection ranging from 101 to 102 CFU/ml. This screening medium provides the opportunity to detect CZA-resistant isolates regardless of their resistance mechanisms.

KPC is currently the most common carbapenemase identified in the United States. More than 40 KPC variants have been described, of which KPC-2 and KPC-3 are the most frequent clinical variants. However, our understanding of the genetic structures and β-lactam resistance profiles of other novel KPC variants remains incomplete. Here, we report a novel blaKPC variant (blaKPC-14) and the complete genome sequence of blaKPC-14-harboring K. pneumoniae strain BK13048, which is susceptible to carbapenems but resistant to ceftazidime-avibactam. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the earliest KPC-producing K. pneumoniae strains exhibiting resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam., Ceftazidime-avibactam is a potent antibiotic combination against Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Here, we describe a unique ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant and carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae strain harboring a novel blaKPC-14 variant. This strain was isolated from a New York City patient in 2003, which predates the introduction of avibactam. Despite resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam, the strain was susceptible to imipenem-relebactam and meropenem-vaborbactam. Comprehensive genomic sequencing revealed that blaKPC-14 is harbored on an ST6 IncN plasmid associated with the early spread of blaKPC. IMPORTANCE KPC is currently the most common carbapenemase identified in the United States. More than 40 KPC variants have been described, of which KPC-2 and KPC-3 are the most frequent clinical variants. However, our understanding of the genetic structures and β-lactam resistance profiles of other novel KPC variants remains incomplete. Here, we report a novel blaKPC variant (blaKPC-14) and the complete genome sequence of blaKPC-14-harboring K. pneumoniae strain BK13048, which is susceptible to carbapenems but resistant to ceftazidime-avibactam. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the earliest KPC-producing K. pneumoniae strains exhibiting resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam.

Ceftazidime-avibactam and cefiderocol are two of the latest generation β-lactam agents that possess expanded activity against highly drug-resistant bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales Here, we show that structural changes in AmpC β-lactamases can confer reduced susceptibility to both agents. A multidrug-resistant Enterobacter cloacae clinical strain (Ent385) was found to be resistant to ceftazidime-avibactam and cefiderocol without prior exposure to either agent. The AmpC β-lactamase of Ent385 (AmpCEnt385) contained an alanine-proline deletion at positions 294 and 295 (A294_P295del) in the R2 loop. AmpCEnt385 conferred reduced susceptibility to ceftazidime-avibactam and cefiderocol when cloned into Escherichia coli TOP10. Purified AmpCEnt385 showed increased hydrolysis of ceftazidime and cefiderocol compared to AmpCEnt385Rev, in which the deletion was reverted. Comparisons of crystal structures of AmpCEnt385 and AmpCP99, the canonical AmpC of E. cloacae complex, revealed that the two-residue deletion in AmpCEnt385 induced drastic structural changes of the H-9 and H-10 helices and the R2 loop, which accounted for the increased hydrolysis of ceftazidime and cefiderocol. The potential for a single mutation in ampC to confer reduced susceptibility to both ceftazidime-avibactam and cefiderocol requires close monitoring.

Chromosomal and plasmid-borne AmpC cephalosporinases are a major resistance mechanism to β-lactams in Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa The new β-lactamase inhibitor avibactam effectively inhibits class C enzymes and can fully restore ceftazidime susceptibility. The conserved amino acid residue Asn346 of AmpC cephalosporinases directly interacts with the avibactam sulfonate. Disruption of this interaction caused by the N346Y amino acid substitution in Citrobacter freundii AmpC was previously shown to confer resistance to the ceftazidime-avibactam combination (CAZ-AVI). The aim of this study was to phenotypically and biochemically characterize the consequences of the N346Y substitution in various AmpC backgrounds. Introduction of N346Y into Enterobacter cloacae AmpC (AmpCcloacae), plasmid-mediated DHA-1, and P. aeruginosa PDC-5 led to 270-, 12,000-, and 79-fold decreases in the inhibitory efficacy (k 2/Ki ) of avibactam, respectively. The kinetic parameters of AmpCcloacae and DHA-1 for ceftazidime hydrolysis were moderately affected by the substitution. Accordingly, AmpCcloacae and DHA-1 harboring N346Y conferred CAZ-AVI resistance (MIC of ceftazidime of 16 μg/ml in the presence of 4 μg/ml of avibactam). In contrast, production of PDC-5 N346Y was associated with a lower MIC (4 μg/ml) since this β-lactamase retained a higher inactivation efficacy by avibactam in comparison to AmpCcloacae N346Y. For FOX-3, the I346Y substitution did not reduce the inactivation efficacy of avibactam and the substitution was highly deleterious for β-lactam hydrolysis, including ceftazidime, preventing CAZ-AVI resistance. Since AmpCcloacae and DHA-1 display substantial sequence diversity, our results suggest that loss of hydrogen interaction between Asn346 and avibactam could be a common mechanism of acquisition of CAZ-AVI resistance.

The comparative efficacy of ceftazidime-avibactam and meropenem-vaborbactam for treatment of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections remains unknown. This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of adults with CRE infections who received ceftazidime-avibactam or meropenem-vaborbactam for ≥72 hours from February 2015 to October 2018. Patients with a localized urinary tract infection and repeat study drug exposures after the first episode were excluded. The primary endpoint was clinical success compared between treatment groups. Secondary endpoints included 30- and 90-day mortality, adverse events (AE), 90-day CRE infection recurrence, and development of resistance in patients with recurrent infection. A post hoc subgroup analysis was completed comparing patients who received ceftazidime-avibactam monotherapy, ceftazidime-avibactam combination therapy, and meropenem-vaborbactam monotherapy. A total of 131 patients were included (ceftazidime-avibactam, n = 105; meropenem-vaborbactam, n = 26), 40% of whom had bacteremia. No significant difference in clinical success was observed between groups (62% versus 69%; P = 0.49). Patients in the ceftazidime-avibactam arm received combination therapy more often than patients in the meropenem-vaborbactam arm (61% versus 15%; P

Nosocomial pneumonia (NP), including ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), is increasingly associated with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. This study describes the in vitro activity of ceftazidime-avibactam, ceftazidime, and relevant comparator agents against bacterial pathogens isolated from patients with NP, including VAP, enrolled in a ceftazidime-avibactam phase 3 trial. Gram-positive pathogens were included if coisolated with a Gram-negative pathogen. In vitro susceptibility was determined at a central laboratory using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute broth microdilution methods. Of 817 randomized patients, 457 (55.9%) had ≥1 Gram-negative bacterial pathogen(s) isolated at baseline, and 149 (18.2%) had ≥1 Gram-positive pathogen(s) coisolated. The most common isolated pathogens were Klebsiella pneumoniae (18.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.8%), and Staphylococcus aureus (11.5%). Ceftazidime-avibactam was highly active in vitro against 370 isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, with 98.6% susceptible (MIC(90), 0.5 μg/ml) compared with 73.2% susceptible for ceftazidime (MIC(90), >64 μg/ml). The percent susceptibility values for ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftazidime against 129 P. aeruginosa isolates were 88.4% and 72.9% (MIC(90) values of 16 μg/ml and 64 μg/ml), respectively. Among ceftazidime-nonsusceptible Gram-negative isolates, ceftazidime-avibactam percent susceptibility values were 94.9% for 99 Enterobacteriaceae and 60.0% for 35 P. aeruginosa. MIC(90) values for linezolid and vancomycin (permitted per protocol for Gram-positive coverage) were within their respective MIC susceptibility breakpoints against the Gram-positive pathogens isolated. This analysis demonstrates that ceftazidime-avibactam was active in vitro against the majority of Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa isolates from patients with NP, including VAP, in a phase 3 trial. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT01808092.)

Aztreonam-avibactam is a combination antimicrobial agent with activity against carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) with metallo-β-lactamases (MβLs). Although aztreonam-avibactam is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), clinicians can administer this combination by using two FDA-approved drugs: aztreonam and ceftazidime-avibactam. This combination of drugs is recommended by multiple experts for treatment of serious infections caused by MβL-producing CPE. At present, in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of aztreonam-avibactam is not commercially available; thus, most clinicians receive no laboratory-based guidance that can support consideration of aztreonam-avibactam for serious CPE infections. Here, we report our internal validation for aztreonam-avibactam AST by reference broth microdilution (BMD) according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The validation was performed using custom frozen reference BMD panels prepared in-house at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, we took this opportunity to evaluate a new panel-making method using a digital dispenser, the Hewlett Packard (HP) D300e. Our studies demonstrate that the performance characteristics of digitally dispensed panels were equivalent to those of conventionally prepared frozen reference BMD panels for a number of drugs, including aztreonam-avibactam. We found the HP D300e digital dispenser to be easy to use and to provide the capacity to prepare complex drug panels. Our findings will help other clinical and public health laboratories implement susceptibility testing for aztreonam-avibactam.

We assessed the ceftazidime-avibactam disk diffusion breakpoints that provide the lowest discrepancy error rates by testing an Enterobacterales isolate collection with ceftazidime-avibactam MIC values near the breakpoints. Isolates ( n = 112) were susceptibility tested by broth microdilution and disk diffusion methods in 3 laboratories. Current disk diffusion breakpoints (≥21/≤20 mm for susceptible/resistant) provided the lowest error rates, but confirmatory MIC testing is indicated for isolates with inhibition zones of 20 to 22 mm.

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) is an emerging global public health threat that causes life-threatening pneumonia and bacteremia. Ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) represents a promising advance for the treatment of serious infections caused by KPC-Kp. We investigated the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of ceftazidime-avibactam in the treatment of experimental KPC-Kp pneumonia in persistently neutropenic rabbits. For single-dose and multidose (administration every 8 h) pharmacokinetics, rabbits received ceftazidime-avibactam intravenous infusions at 60/15, 90/22.5, and 120/30 mg/kg of body weight. Ceftazidime mean area under the concentration-time curves (AUCs) ranged from 287 to 608 μg·h/ml for a single dose and from 300 to 781 μg·h/ml for multiple doses. Avibactam AUCs ranged from 21 to 48 μg·h/ml for a single dose and from 26 to 48 μg·h/ml for multiple doses. KPC-Kp pneumonia was established by direct endotracheal inoculation. Treatments consisted of ceftazidime-avibactam at 120/30 mg/kg every 6 h, a polymyxin B (PMB) loading dose of 2.5 mg/kg followed by 1.5 mg/kg every 12 h q12h, or no treatment (untreated controls [UC]). There were significant reductions in the residual bacterial burden, lung weights, and pulmonary hemorrhage scores in CZA- and PMB-treated rabbits for a 7-day or a 14-day (P ≤ 0.01) course in comparison with those in the UC. These results corresponded to significant decreases in the bacterial burden in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after a 7-day or a 14-day treatment (P ≤ 0.01). The outcomes demonstrated an improved response at 14 days versus that at 7 days. There was significantly prolonged survival in rabbits treated with CZA for 14 days in comparison with that in the PMB-treated or UC rabbits (P ≤ 0.05). This study demonstrates that ceftazidime-avibactam displays linear dose-proportional exposures simulating those seen from human plasma pharmacokinetic profiles, is active for the treatment of experimental KPC-Kp pneumonia in persistently neutropenic rabbits, and provides an experimental foundation for the treatment of severely immunocompromised patients with this life-threatening infection.

Resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam due to mutations in KPC genes has been reported both in vitro and in clinical settings. The most frequently reported mutation leads to the amino acid substitution D179Y in the Ω loop of the enzyme. Bacterial cells that carry mutant KPC acquire a higher level of ceftazidime resistance, become more sensitive to other cephalosporins, and almost completely lose resistance to carbapenems. In this study, we demonstrated that two substitutions in KPC-2, D179Y and L169P, reduce the ability of avibactam to enhance the activity of ceftazidime, cefepime, or piperacillin against isogenic efflux-deficient strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 8- to 32-fold and 4- to 16-fold for the D179Y and L169P variants, respectively, depending on the antibiotic., Resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam due to mutations in KPC genes has been reported both in vitro and in clinical settings. The most frequently reported mutation leads to the amino acid substitution D179Y in the Ω loop of the enzyme. Bacterial cells that carry mutant KPC acquire a higher level of ceftazidime resistance, become more sensitive to other cephalosporins, and almost completely lose resistance to carbapenems. In this study, we demonstrated that two substitutions in KPC-2, D179Y and L169P, reduce the ability of avibactam to enhance the activity of ceftazidime, cefepime, or piperacillin against isogenic efflux-deficient strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 8- to 32-fold and 4- to 16-fold for the D179Y and L169P variants, respectively, depending on the antibiotic. In contrast, the potency of vaborbactam, the structurally unrelated β-lactamase inhibitor that was recently approved by the FDA in combination with meropenem, is reduced no more than 2-fold. Experiments with purified enzymes demonstrate that the D179Y substitution causes an ∼20-fold increase in the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for inhibition of ceftazidime hydrolysis by avibactam, versus 2-fold for vaborbactam, and that the L169P substitution has an ∼4.5-fold-stronger effect on the affinity for avibactam than for vaborbactam. In addition, the D179Y and L169P variants hydrolyze ceftazidime with 10-fold and 4-fold-higher efficiencies, respectively, than that of wild-type KPC-2. Thus, microbiological and biochemical experiments implicate both decreased ability of avibactam to interact with KPC-2 variants and an increase in the efficiency of ceftazidime hydrolysis in resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam. These substitutions have a considerably lesser effect on interactions with vaborbactam, making the meropenem-vaborbactam combination a valuable agent in managing infections due to KPC-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Data on the effectiveness of ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) in critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients are limited. The present retrospective observational cohort study, which was conducted in two general intensive care units (ICUs) in central Greece, compared critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients suffering from carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections receiving CAZ-AVI to patients who received appropriate available antibiotic therapy. Clinical and microbiological outcomes and safety issues were evaluated. A secondary analysis in patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) was conducted. Forty-one patients that received CAZ-AVI (the CAZ-AVI group) were compared to 36 patients that received antibiotics other than CAZ-AVI (the control group). There was a significant improvement in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score on days 4 and 10 in the CAZ-AVI group compared to that in the control group (P = 0.006, and P = 0.003, respectively). Microbiological eradication was accomplished in 33/35 (94.3%) patients in the CAZ-AVI group and 21/31 (67.7%) patients in the control group (P = 0.021), and clinical cure was observed in 33/41 (80.5%) versus 19/36 (52.8%) patients (P = 0.010), respectively. The results were similar in the BSI subgroups for both outcomes (P = 0.038 and P = 0.014, respectively). The 28-day survival was 85.4% in the CAZ-AVI group and 61.1% in the control group (log-rank test = 0.035), while there were 2 and 12 relapses in the CAZ-AVI and control groups, respectively (P = 0.042). A CAZ-AVI-containing regime was an independent predictor of survival and clinical cure (odds ratio [OR] = 5.575 and P = 0.012 and OR = 5.125 and P = 0.004, respectively), as was illness severity. No significant side effects were recorded. In conclusion, a CAZ-AVI-containing regime was more effective than other available antibiotic agents for the treatment of CRE infections in the high-risk, mechanically ventilated ICU population evaluated.

We tested the in vitro activities of ceftazidime-avibactam, ceftolozane-tazobactam, meropenem-vaborbactam, piperacillin-tazobactam, and 11 other antimicrobial agents against 420 Burkholderia, Achromobacter, Stenotrophomonas, and Pandoraea strains, 89% of which were cultured from respiratory specimens from persons with cystic fibrosis. Among the β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor agents, meropenem-vaborbactam had the greatest activity against Burkholderia and Achromobacter, including multidrug-resistant and extensively-drug-resistant strains. None of the newer β-lactam-β-lactamase combination drugs showed increased activity compared to that of the older agents against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia or Pandoraea spp.

Objective: Metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, particularly those that co-harbor serine β-lactamases, are a serious emerging public health threat given their rapid dissemination and the limited number of treatment options. Pre-clinical and anecdotal clinical data support the use of aztreonam in combination with ceftazidime-avibactam against these pathogens, but other aztreonam-based combinations have not been explored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro activity and compare synergy between aztreonam in combination with ceftazidime-avibactam and meropenem-vaborbactam against serine and MBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae via time-kill analyses. Methods: 8 clinical Enterobacteriaceae strains (4 Escherichia coli and 4 Klebsiella pneumoniae) co-producing NDM and at least one serine β-lactamase were used for all experiments. Drugs were tested alone, in dual β-lactam combinations, and in triple drug combinations against all strains. Results: All strains were resistant to ceftazidime-avibactam and meropenem-vaborbactam and 7/8 (87.5%) strains were resistant to aztreonam. Aztreonam combined with ceftazidime-avibactam was synergistic against all 7 aztreonam-resistant strains. Aztreonam combined with meropenem-vaborbactam was synergistic against all aztreonam-resistant strains with the exception of an OXA-232-producing K. pneumoniae strain. Neither triple combination was synergistic against the aztreonam-susceptible strain. Likewise, neither dual β-lactam combination was synergistic against any strain. Conclusions: These data suggest that aztreonam plus meropenem-vaborbactam has similar activity to aztreonam plus ceftazidime-avibactam against Enterobacteriaceae producing NDM and other non-OXA-48-like serine β-lactamases. Confirmation of these findings in future in vitro and in vivo models is warranted.

Background: Ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ-AVI) may improve outcomes among patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections compared to conventional therapies. However, CAZ-AVI's cost-effectiveness is unknown.Methods: We used a decision analytic model to estimate the health and economic consequences of CAZ-AVI-based therapy compared to colistin-based therapy (COL) for a hypothetical cohort of patients with CRE pneumonia or bacteremia over a 5-year horizon. Model inputs were from published sources and included CRE mortality with COL (41%), CAZ-AVI's absolute risk reduction in CRE mortality (23%), daily cost of CAZ-AVI ($926), risk of nephrotoxicity with COL (42%) and probability of discharge to long-term care (LTC) following CRE infection (56%). Outcomes included quality adjusted life-years (QALYs), costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER; $/QALY). 1-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed and ICERs were compared to willingness to pay standards of $100,000/QALY and $150,000/QALY.Results: In the base case, CAZ-AVI had an ICER of $95,000/QALY. At a $100,000/QALY threshold, results were sensitive to a number of variables including: the probability and cost of LTC, quality of life following CRE infection, CAZ-AVI's absolute risk reduction in mortality, all-cause mortality, daily cost of CAZ-AVI, and healthcare costs after CRE infection. The ICER did not exceed $150,000/QALY after varying all model inputs across a wide range of plausible values. In probabilistic sensitivity analysis, CAZ-AVI was the optimal strategy in 59% and 99% of simulations at $100,000/QALY and $150,000/QALY threshold, respectively.Conclusion: CAZ-AVI is a cost-effective treatment for CRE bacteremia and pneumonia based on accepted willingness to pay standards in the US.

Ceftolozane-tazobactam is considered to be a last resort treatment for infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa Although, resistance to this antimicrobial have been described in vitro, development of resistance in vivo was rarely reported. Here, we described the evolution of resistance to ceftolozane-tazobactam of P. aeruginosa isolates recovered from the same patient during recurrent infections over 2.5 years.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results showed that 24 of the 27 P. aeruginosa isolates recovered from blood (n=18), wound (n=2), pulmonary sample (n=1), bile (n=2) and stools (n=4) of the same patient were susceptible to ceftolozane-tazobactam and ceftazidime-avibactam but resistant to ceftazidime, piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem and meropenem. Three clinical isolates acquired resistance to ceftolozane-tazobactam and ceftazidime-avibactam along with a partial restoration of piperacillin-tazobactam and carbapenems susceptibilities. Whole genome sequencing analysis reveals that all isolates were clonally related (ST-111) with a median of 24.9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (range 8-48). The ceftolozane-tazobactam and ceftazidime-avibactam resistance was likely linked to the same G183D substitution in the chromosome-encoded cephalosporinase.Our results suggest resistance to ceftolozane-tazobactam in P. aeruginosa might occur in vivo upon treatment through amino-acid substitution in the intrinsic AmpC leading to ceftolozane-tazobactam and ceftazidime-avibactam resistance accompanied by re-sensitization to piperacillin-tazobactam and carbapenems.

A novel KPC variant, KPC-41, was identified in a Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolate from Switzerland. This β-lactamase possessed a 3-amino-acid insertion (Pro-Asn-Lys) located between amino acids 269 and 270 compared to the KPC-3 amino acid sequence. Cloning and expression of the bla(KPC-41) gene in Escherichia coli, followed by determination of MIC values and kinetic parameters, showed that KPC-41, compared to those of KPC-3, has an increased affinity to ceftazidime and a decreased sensitivity to avibactam, leading to resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam once produced in K. pneumoniae. Furthermore, KPC-41 exhibited a drastic decrease of its carbapenemase activity. This report highlights that a diversity of KPC variants conferring resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam already circulate in Europe.

In this article, we report a case series of patients with infections caused by Enterobacteriales coresistant to carbapenems and polymyxins who were treated with ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ-AVI) salvage therapy on a compassionate-use protocol. We enrolled 29 adult patients in 3 centers that had an infection due to a resistant microorganism and for whom the treatments available were considered ineffective, treated them with CAZ-AVI, and assessed clinical and microbiological cure at the end of treatment and all-cause mortality at 14 days and 30 days. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile was determined using broth microdilution, and total genomic DNA was sequenced. Twelve (41.4%) patients had bacteremia, and 48.3% (14/29) of the infections were treated with combination therapy. All strains were producers of KPC-2 and were susceptible to CAZ-AVI (MIC90, 1 μg/ml). Clinical success was high (24/29 [82.7%; 95% confidence interval, 64.2 to 94.2%]), even for the bacteremic cases (75%). The 14-day and 30-day mortality rates were 9/29 (31%) and 15/29 (51.7%), respectively. The 14-day mortality rate for pneumonia was the same as that for bloodstream infections (33.3%) and although not significant, we found that patients with renal impairment that received adjusted doses of CAZ-AVI had high mortality (4/9 [44%]; P = 0.22). We concluded that CAZ-AVI is an option for the treatment of severe infections due to difficult-to-treat drug-resistant Enterobacteriales.

Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria represents one of the most consequential problems in modern medicine, and its emergence and spread threaten to compromise central advances in the treatment of infectious diseases. Ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) belongs to a new class of broad-spectrum beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations designed to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Understanding the emergence of resistance to this important new drug class is of critical importance. In this work, we demonstrate that evolved mismatch repair deficiency in P. aeruginosa, an important pathogen responsible for significant morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients, may facilitate rapid acquisition of resistance to CZA in the context of acute infection. These findings are relevant for both diagnosis and treatment of antimicrobial resistance emerging in acute infection in the hypermutator background and additionally have implications for the emergence of more virulent phenotypes., Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with deficiencies in DNA mismatch repair have been studied in the context of chronic infection, where elevated mutational rates (“hypermutation”) may facilitate the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance. Whether P. aeruginosa hypermutation can also play an adaptive role in the more dynamic context of acute infection remains unclear. In this work, we demonstrate that evolved mismatch repair deficiencies may be exploited by P. aeruginosa to facilitate rapid acquisition of antimicrobial resistance in acute infection, and we directly document rapid clonal succession by such a hypermutating lineage in a patient. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on nine serially cultured blood and respiratory isolates from a patient in whom ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) resistance emerged in vivo over the course of days. The CZA-resistant clone was differentiated by 14 mutations, including a gain-of-function G183D substitution in the PDC-5 chromosomal AmpC cephalosporinase conferring CZA resistance. This lineage also contained a substitution (R656H) at a conserved position in the ATPase domain of the MutS mismatch repair (MMR) protein, and elevated mutational rates were confirmed by mutational accumulation experiments with WGS of evolved lineages in conjunction with rifampin resistance assays. To test whether MMR-deficient hypermutation could facilitate rapid acquisition of CZA resistance, in vitro adaptive evolution experiments were performed with a mutS-deficient strain. These experiments demonstrated rapid hypermutation-facilitated acquisition of CZA resistance compared with the isogenic wild-type strain. Our results suggest a possibly underappreciated role for evolved MMR deficiency in facilitating rapid adaptive evolution of P. aeruginosa in the context of acute infection.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) strains are an urgent public health threat. We evaluated the in vitro activities of 19 antimicrobial agents, including imipenem-relebactam, against (i) 106 CRE bloodstream isolates that primarily expressed Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) and (ii) 20 OXA-48-like-expressing CRE isolates. Ninety-five percent of CRE bloodstream isolates were susceptible to imipenem-relebactam.

The recent development of new antimicrobials active against carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriales (CPE) has brought new hope for the treatment of infections due to these organisms. However, the evolving epidemiology of bacteria with carbapenemases may complicate management, as providers are faced with treating patients colonized by bacteria producing multiple carbapenemases. Here, we present the clinical course and treatment of Raoultella planticola bacteremia in a cirrhotic patient known to be colonized with both bla(KPC)- and bla(OXA-48)-carrying organisms.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a frequent pathogen in the intensive care unit (ICU), has the propensity to develop antibiotic resistance. In particular, carbapenem-nonsusceptible (NS) P. aeruginosa poses tremendous challenges, and new antibiotics will be needed to treat this phenotype. Here we determine carbapenem nonsusceptibility rates for contemporary P. aeruginosa isolates from U.S. ICUs and in vitro activities of new β-lactam combination agents. Between July 2017 and June 2018, consecutive nonduplicate P. aeruginosa isolates from blood and respiratory tract sources were recovered from patients admitted to the ICUs of 36 geographically diverse U.S. hospitals. Antimicrobial susceptibility to the following antipseudomonal agents was tested: ceftazidime, imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidime-avibactam, and imipenem-relebactam (an investigational β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor). MICs and susceptibility rates were measured using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute reference broth microdilution methodology. Among the 538 consecutive ICU P. aeruginosa isolates collected, carbapenem nonsusceptibility was observed for 35% of the isolates and was more common among respiratory tract versus bloodstream specimens. Susceptibility rates, MIC50 values, and MIC90 values were as follows: ceftazidime-avibactam, 92.8%, 2 μg/ml, and 8 μg/ml; imipenem-relebactam, 91.5%, 0.25 μg/ml, and 2 μg/ml; ceftazidime, 77.1%, 4 μg/ml, and 64 μg/ml; meropenem, 72.7%, 1 μg/ml, and 16 μg/ml; imipenem, 67.1%, 2 μg/ml, and 16 μg/ml. Most (>75%) of the carbapenem-NS isolates were susceptible to ceftazidime-avibactam and imipenem-relebactam. In these U.S. hospital ICUs, carbapenem-NS P. aeruginosa isolates from respiratory sources were frequently observed. Novel β-lactam combination agents appear to retain active in vitro susceptibility profiles against these isolates and may play a role in the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-NS P. aeruginosa strains.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative organisms are a major health concern due to lack of effective therapy. Emergence of resistance to newer agents like ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) further magnifies the problem. In this context, combination therapy of CZA with other antimicrobials may have potential in treating these pathogens. Unfortunately, there are limited data regarding these combinations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate CZA in combination with amikacin (AMK), aztreonam (AZT), colistin (COL), fosfomycin (FOS), and meropenem (MEM) against 21 carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and 21 MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. The potential for synergy was evaluated via MIC combination evaluation and time-kill assays. All strains were further characterized by whole-genome sequencing, quantitative real-time PCR, and SDS-PAGE analysis to determine potential mechanisms of resistance. Compared to CZA alone, we observed a 4-fold decrease in CZA MICs for a majority of K. pneumoniae strains and at least a 2-fold decrease for most P. aeruginosa isolates in the majority of combinations tested. In both P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae strains, CZA in combination with AMK or AZT was synergistic (≥2.15-log(10) CFU/ml decrease). CZA-MEM was effective against P. aeruginosa and CZA-FOS was effective against K. pneumoniae. Time-kill analysis also revealed that the synergy of CZA with MEM or AZT may be due to the previously reported restoration of MEM or AZT activity against these organisms. Our findings show that CZA in combination with these antibiotics has potential for therapeutic options in difficult to treat pathogens. Further evaluation of these combinations is warranted.

The activities of ceftazidime-avibactam, ceftolozane-tazobactam, and comparators were evaluated for 733 isolates displaying resistance to broad-spectrum cephalosporins and carrying extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes detected by whole-genome sequencing analysis. Isolates were collected during 2017 in U.S. hospitals. The ESBL producers were 486 Escherichia coli, 190 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 42 Enterobacter cloacae isolates and isolates from 3 other species. The most common groups of ESBL-encoding genes were bla(CTX-M-15)-like (n = 491 isolates) and bla(CTX-M-15) alone (n = 168) or plus bla(OXA-1) (n = 260), followed by bla(CTX-M-14)-like (n = 162), which included bla(CTX-M-27) and bla(CTX-M-14) (104 and 51 isolates, respectively), and bla(SHV-12) and bla(SHV-7) (48 and 22 isolates, respectively). ESBL producers carried other β-lactamases, including 1 E. cloacae harboring bla(KPC-3). All ESBL-producing isolates were susceptible to ceftazidime-avibactam, and 90.2/83.9% (CLSI/EUCAST breakpoints) were susceptible to ceftolozane-tazobactam. Tigecycline (98.1/95.8% susceptible) and colistin (99.2%) were comparators that displayed the greatest activity against these isolates. Ceftolozane-tazobactam inhibited 91.4/83.9% of isolates carrying bla(CTX-M-15)-like and 97.5/95.1% of isolates carrying bla(CTX-M-14)-like, and its activity was more limited against the 91 isolates carrying bla(SHV) (66.7/61.1% susceptible). Ceftolozane-tazobactam inhibited 95.5% of the E. coli isolates but only 83.0%, 64.3%, and 80.0% of K. pneumoniae, E. cloacae, and other species harboring ESBL-encoding genes (CLSI breakpoints), respectively. Outer membrane protein sequences for ceftolozane-tazobactam-nonsusceptible isolates did not exhibit significant differences compared to those in genetically related ceftolozane-tazobactam-susceptible isolates. Ceftazidime-avibactam was more active than other agents tested, including ceftolozane-tazobactam, and the activity of this combination was stable regardless of species or ESBL gene carried.

REPRISE was a pathogen-directed (ceftazidime-resistant) phase 3 prospective, open-label, randomized, multicenter trial that evaluated the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) and best available therapy (BAT) in the treatment of hospitalized adults with complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) and complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI). This study characterized the β-lactamase content of ceftazidime-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered during the baseline visits of patients enrolled in REPRISE. Ceftazidime had MIC90 results of >64 μg/ml against baseline Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa. blaCTX-M variants were the most common β-lactamases found in Escherichia coli (detected in 94.3% of all E. coli isolates) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (91.2%), whereas Proteus mirabilis often carried plasmid AmpC (pAmpC) (66.7%). blaKPC (6 isolates), blaNDM-1 (3), blaOXA-48 (3), and blaVIM (2) were detected in 4.9% (14/284) of Enterobacteriaceae. Overall, clinical cure rates against the Enterobacteriaceae were 91.2% and 90.8% for the CAZ-AVI and BAT groups, respectively, or 92.5% and 92.9% in the subset of patients infected with isolates harboring blaCTX-M. Patients with baseline isolates carrying AmpC genes (pAmpC and/or overexpression of intrinsic AmpC) showed clinical cure rates of 80.0% and 89.5% for CAZ-AVI and BAT arms, respectively. Favorable microbiological responses were generally lower than clinical cure rates in both arms, but CAZ-AVI (80.0 to 85.0%) showed microbiological response rates consistently higher than those for BAT (57.9 to 64.3%) among patients with non-carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Lower microbiological response rates (50.0%) were found in patients with carbapenemase producers from both arms. This study expands on efficacy data analysis of CAZ-AVI among patients infected with ceftazidime-resistant pathogens, especially blaCTX-M-carrying isolates, and although clinical cure rates for CAZ-AVI and BAT were similar, eradication rates for CAZ-AVI were higher than those for BAT. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01644643","term_id":"NCT01644643"}}NCT01644643.)

Susceptibility of ceftazidime-avibactam and in vitro synergy with meropenem were investigated using disk approximation and time-kill assays against 11 multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates harboring oxacillinases and 5 Serratia marcescens isolates carrying bla KPC-2 . Ceftazidime-avibactam was very active and synergistic with meropenem against multiresistant S. marcescens isolates.