Abstract
BACKGROUND: Infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria are threatening modern healthcare, and antibacterial resistance has become one of the greatest threats to public health. In Germany 54,500 patients become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria per year, causing about 2400 attributable deaths. Rising resistance in Gram-negative bacteria especially carbapenem-resistant pathogens is of particular concern due to the lack of effective and safe alternative treatment options. OBJECTIVE: The results from trials and compassionate-use programs with the new antibiotic cefiderocol, which was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in April 2020 for the treatment of adults with infections caused by aerobic Gram-negative bacteria, are summarized. RESULTS: The new β‑lactam antibiotic cefiderocol is the first siderophore cephalosporin indicated for the treatment of infections due to aerobic Gram-negative organisms in adults with limited treatment options. Its chemical structure and its unique mechanism of action confer enhanced stability against β‑lactamases including all classes of clinically relevant carbapenemases. In vitro data show high antibacterial activity against multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria, Enterobacterales and nonfermenters, including carbapenem-resistant strains. In clinical trials, cefiderocol showed superiority in complicated urinary tract infection in comparison to imipenem and non-inferiority versus meropenem in hospital-acquired/ventilator-associated pneumonia patients and severe infections caused by carbapenem-resistant pathogens. CONCLUSION: Clinical trial data and case reports identified in the literature search show that cefiderocol is a promising treatment option for severe infections caused by drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, particularly carbapenem-resistant bacteria.