Avibactam

Avibactam is a non-β-lactam β-lactamase inhibitor antibiotic developed by Actavis (now Allergan) jointly with AstraZeneca. A new drug application for avibactam in combination with ceftazidime was approved by the FDA on February 25, 2015, for treating complicated urinary tract (cUTI) and complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) caused by antibiotic resistant-pathogens, including those caused by multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacterial pathogens.

Increasing resistance to cephalosporins among Gram-(−) bacterial pathogens, especially among hospital-acquired infections, results in part from the production of β-lactamase enzymes that deactivate these antibiotics. While the co-administration of a β-lactamase inhibitor can restore antibacterial activity to the cephalosporin, previously approved β-lactamase inhibitors such as tazobactam and clavulanic acid do not inhibit important classes of β-lactamases, including Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPCs), New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1 (NDM-1), and AmpC-type β-lactamases. Avibactam inhibits KPCs, AmpC, and some Class D β-lactamases, but is not active against NDM-1.