OUP accepted manuscript

In vitro antimicrobial activity of six novel β-lactam and β-lactamase inhibitor combinations and cefiderocol against NDM-producing Enterobacterales in China

INTRODUCTION

To date, the global prevalence of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) has been of concern, which is not inhibited by classical β-lactamase inhibitors (BLIs). In this study, we investigated the newly developed antimicrobial agents or inhibitors against NDM-producing Enterobacterales (NPEs).

METHODS

The in vitro activities of cefiderocol, cefepime/taniborbactam, meropenem/taniborbactam, cefepime/zidebactam, meropenem/nacubactam, aztreonam/nacubactam and aztreonam/avibactam were analyzed in 204 NPE strains collected in China. The potential resistance mechanisms were identified by whole genome sequencing.

RESULTS

Of 204 NPE strains, 18.1% (37/204) were resistant to cefiderocol, in which cirA deleterious alteration, PBP3 insertion and NDM production were taken as potential resistance mechanisms; 28.9% (59/204) were resistant to cefepime/zidebactam, involving K. pneumoniae with ompK35 deleterious alteration; 22.5% (46/204) were resistant to cefepime/taniborbactam, in which YRIN or YRIK inserted in PBP3 and altered ompC are more frequently detected in the resistant E. coli isolates; 27.9% (57/204) were resistant to meropenem/taniborbactam. Aztreonam/avibactam and aztreonam/nacubactam exhibited excellent activity against NPE. However, meropenem/nacubactam had the lowest activity, with only 49.0% (100/204) of all isolates having MICs of <4/4 mg/L.

CONCLUSIONS

Aztreonam/avibactam and aztreonam/nacubactam showed the highest activity against NPE. The potential resistance mechanisms of novel antimicrobial agents against NPE should be under active surveillance.

Cefepime-taniborbactam activity against antimicrobial-resistant clinical isolates of Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: GEARS global surveillance programme 2018-22

OBJECTIVES

Taniborbactam is a boronate-based β-lactamase inhibitor in clinical development in combination with cefepime.

METHODS

Cefepime-taniborbactam and comparator broth microdilution MICs were determined for patient isolates of Enterobacterales (n = 20 725) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 7919) collected in 59 countries from 2018 to 2022. Taniborbactam was tested at a fixed concentration of 4 mg/L. Isolates with cefepime-taniborbactam MICs ≥ 16 mg/L underwent WGS. β-Lactamase genes were identified in additional meropenem-resistant isolates by PCR/Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS

Taniborbactam reduced the cefepime MIC90 value for all Enterobacterales from >16 to 0.25 mg/L (>64-fold). At ≤16 mg/L, cefepime-taniborbactam inhibited 99.5% of all Enterobacterales isolates; >95% of isolates with MDR and ceftolozane-tazobactam-resistant phenotypes;  ≥ 89% of isolates with meropenem-resistant and difficult-to-treat-resistant (DTR) phenotypes; >80% of isolates with meropenem-vaborbactam-resistant and ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant phenotypes; 100% of KPC-positive, 99% of OXA-48-like-positive, 99% of ESBL-positive, 97% of acquired AmpC-positive, 95% of VIM-positive and 76% of NDM-positive isolates. Against P. aeruginosa, taniborbactam reduced the cefepime MIC90 value from 32 to 8 mg/L (4-fold). At ≤16 mg/L, cefepime-taniborbactam inhibited 96.5% of all P. aeruginosa isolates; 85% of meropenem-resistant phenotype isolates; 80% of isolates with MDR and meropenem-vaborbactam-resistant phenotypes; >70% of isolates with DTR, ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant and ceftolozane-tazobactam-resistant phenotypes; and 82% of VIM-positive isolates. Multiple potential mechanisms of resistance, including carriage of IMP, or alterations in PBP3 (ftsI), porins (decreased permeability) and efflux (up-regulation) were present in most isolates with cefepime-taniborbactam MICs ≥ 16 mg/L.

CONCLUSIONS

Cefepime-taniborbactam exhibited potent in vitro activity against Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa, and inhibited most carbapenem-resistant isolates, including those carrying serine carbapenemases or NDM/VIM MBLs.

Cefepime-taniborbactam demonstrates potent in vitro activity vs Enterobacterales with blaOXA-48

Taniborbactam (formerly VNRX-5133) is a novel, investigational boronic acid β-lactamase inhibitor. The combination of cefepime (FEP) with taniborbactam is active against Enterobacterales carrying class A, B, C, and/or D enzymes. We assessed the activity of FEP-taniborbactam against Enterobacterales clinical strains carrying blaOXA-48 (N = 50, 100%), of which 78% harbored at least one extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). CLSI-based agar dilution susceptibility testing was conducted using FEP-taniborbactam and comparators FEP, meropenem-vaborbactam (MVB), and ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA). The addition of taniborbactam lowered FEP MICs to the provisionally susceptible range of ≤16 µg/mL; the MIC90 value decreased from ≥64 µg/mL for FEP to 4 µg/mL for FEP-taniborbactam. Notably, FEP-taniborbactam MIC50/MIC90 values (0.5/4 µg/mL) were lower than those for MVB (1/16 µg/mL) and comparable to those for CZA (0.5/1 µg/mL). Time-kill assays with E. coli clinical strains DOV (blaOXA-48, blaCTX-M-15, blaTEM-1, and blaOXA-1) and MLI (blaOXA-48, blaVEB, blaTEM-1, and blaCMY-2) revealed that FEP-taniborbactam at concentrations 1×, 2×, and 4× MIC displayed time-dependent reductions in the number of CFU/mL from 0 to 6 h, and at 4× MIC demonstrated bactericidal activity (3 log10 reduction in CFU/mL at 24 h). Therefore, taniborbactam in combination with FEP was highly active against this diverse panel of Enterobacterales with blaOXA-48 and represents a potential addition to our antibiotic arsenal.IMPORTANCEOXA-48-like β-lactamases are class D carbapenemases widespread in Klebsiella pneumoniae and other Enterobacterales and are associated with carbapenem treatment failures. As up to 80% of OXA-48-like positive isolates coproduce extended-spectrum β-lactamases, a combination of β-lactams with broad-spectrum β-lactamase inhibitors is required to counteract all OXA-48-producing strains effectively. Herein, we evaluated the activity of cefepime-taniborbactam against 50 clinical strains producing OXA-48. We report that adding taniborbactam shifted the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) toward cefepime's susceptible range, restoring its antimicrobial activity. Notably, cefepime-taniborbactam MIC50/MIC90 values (0.5/4 µg/mL) were comparable to ceftazidime-avibactam (0.5/1 µg/mL). Finally, time-kill assays revealed sustained bactericidal activity of cefepime-taniborbactam for up to 24 h. In conclusion, cefepime-taniborbactam will be a welcome addition to the antibiotic arsenal to combat Enterobacterales producing OXA-48.

Survival of infection with TEM β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli with Pan-β-lactam resistance

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial resistance is a critical global health issue, significantly contributing to patient mortality. Recent antibiotic developments have aimed to counteract carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales; however, the impact of their use on the emergence of antibiotic resistance is unknown. This study investigates the first case of a non-carbapenemase-producing, pan-β-lactam-resistant Escherichia coli strain from a patient previously treated with ceftolozane-tazobactam and cefiderocol.

METHODS

This study describes the clinical progression of a 39-year-old ICU patient who developed multiple infections, culminating in the isolation of a pan-β-lactam-resistant E. coli strain (EC554). The resistance profile was characterised through MIC determination, whole-genome sequencing, the use of the β-lactam inactivation method, RT-qPCR, efflux pump inhibition assays, outer membrane protein analysis, and blaTEM transformation.

FINDINGS

The EC554 isolate displayed resistance to all tested β-lactams and β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combinations. Whole-genome sequencing revealed four plasmids in EC554, with the only β-lactamase gene being blaTEM-252 on the pEC554-PBR-X1-X1 plasmid. We found that the extremely resistant phenotype was attributable to a combination of different mechanisms: a high expression of TEM-252, efflux pump activity, porin loss, and PBP3 mutations.

INTERPRETATION

The findings illustrate the complex interplay of multiple resistance mechanisms in E. coli, highlighting the potential for high-level resistance even without carbapenemase production. This study underscores the importance of comprehensively characterising resistance mechanisms in order to inform effective treatment strategies and mitigate the spread of resistant strains.

Cefepime-Taniborbactam: A Novel Cephalosporin/β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combination

Taniborbactam (formerly known as VNRX-5133) is a novel bicyclic boronate β-lactamase inhibitor of serine β-lactamases (SBLs) [Ambler classes A, C, and D] and metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) [Ambler class B], including NDM and VIM, but not IMP. Cefepime-taniborbactam is active in vitro against most isolates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), including both carbapenemase-producing and carbapenemase-non-producing CRE and CRPA, as well as against multidrug-resistant (MDR), ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant, meropenem-vaborbactam-resistant, and ceftolozane-tazobactam-resistant Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa. The addition of taniborbactam to cefepime resulted in a > 64-fold reduction in MIC90 compared with cefepime alone for a 2018-2021 global collection of > 13,000 clinical isolates of Enterobacterales. In the same study, against > 4600 P. aeruginosa, a fourfold MIC reduction was observed with cefepime-taniborbactam, compared with cefepime alone. Whole genome sequencing studies have shown that resistance towards cefepime-taniborbactam in Enterobacterales arises due to the presence of multiple resistance mechanisms, often in concert, including production of IMP, PBP3 alterations, permeability (porin) defects, and upregulation of efflux pumps. In P. aeruginosa, elevated cefepime-taniborbactam MICs are also associated with the presence of multiple, concurrent mechanisms, most frequently IMP, PBP3 mutations, and upregulation of efflux pumps, as well as AmpC (PDC) overexpression. The pharmacokinetics of taniborbactam are dose proportional, follow a linear model, and do not appear to be affected when combined with cefepime. Taniborbactam's approximate volume of distribution (Vd) at steady state is 20 L and the approximate elimination half-life (t½) is 2.3 h, which are similar to cefepime. Furthermore, like cefepime, taniborbactam is primarily cleared renally, and clearance corresponds with renal function. Pharmacodynamic studies (in vitro and in vivo) have reported that cefepime-taniborbactam has bactericidal activity against various β-lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacilli that are not susceptible to cefepime alone. It has been reported that antimicrobial activity best correlated with taniborbactam exposure (area under the curve). A phase III clinical trial showed that cefepime-taniborbactam (2 g/0.5 g administered as an intravenous infusion over 2 h) was superior to meropenem for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI), including acute pyelonephritis, caused by Enterobacterales species and P. aeruginosa while demonstrating similar safety compared with meropenem. The safety and tolerability of taniborbactam and cefepime-taniborbactam has been reported in one pharmacokinetic trial, and in two pharmacokinetic trials and one phase III clinical trial, respectively. Cefepime-taniborbactam appears to be well tolerated in both healthy subjects and patients. Headache and gastrointestinal upset are the most common drug-related adverse effects associated with cefepime-taniborbactam use. Cefepime-taniborbactam will likely have a role in the treatment of infections proven or suspected to be caused by MDR Gram-negative bacteria, including Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa. In particular, it may be useful in the treatment of infections caused by isolates that harbor an MBL (NDM, VIM) enzyme, although further clinical data are needed. Additional safety and efficacy studies may support indications for cefepime-taniborbactam beyond cUTI.

Patient outcomes by baseline pathogen resistance phenotype and genotype in CERTAIN-1, a Phase 3 study of cefepime-taniborbactam versus meropenem in adults with complicated urinary tract infection

CERTAIN-1 was a Phase 3, double-blind, randomized, parallel group study of the efficacy and safety of cefepime-taniborbactam versus meropenem in the treatment of adults with complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI), including acute pyelonephritis. We determined susceptibility of Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa baseline pathogens to cefepime-taniborbactam and comparators and characterized β-lactam resistance mechanisms. Microbiologic response and clinical response were assessed in patient subsets defined by baseline pathogens that were of cefepime-, multidrug-, or carbapenem-resistant phenotype or that carried β-lactamase genes. Among Enterobacterales baseline pathogens, 26.8%, 4.1%, and 3.0% carried genes for extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), AmpC, and carbapenemases, respectively. Within each treatment group, while composite success rates at Test of Cure in resistant subsets by pathogen species were similar to those by pathogen overall, composite success rates in meropenem patients were numerically lower for cefepime-resistant Escherichia coli (9/19; 47.4%) and ESBL E. coli (13/25; 52.0%) compared with E. coli overall (62/100; 62.0%). Cefepime-taniborbactam achieved composite success in 7/8 (87.5%) patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and 8/9 (88.9%) patients with Enterobacterales with a carbapenemase gene (5 OXA-48-group; 2 KPC-3; 2 NDM-1). Cefepime-taniborbactam also achieved composite success in 8/16 (50.0%) patients and clinical success in 13/16 (81.3%) patients with P. aeruginosa; corresponding rates were 4/7 (57.1%) and 6/7 (85.7%) for meropenem. Cefepime-taniborbactam demonstrated efficacy in adult cUTI patients with cefepime-, multidrug-, and carbapenem-resistant pathogens including pathogens with ESBL, AmpC, and carbapenemase genes.

CLINICAL TRIALS

This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03840148.

Comparison of BD Phoenix and disk diffusion to broth microdilution for determining cefepime susceptibility among carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales

There are increasing reports of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) that test as cefepime-susceptible (S) or susceptible-dose dependent (SDD). However, there are no data to compare the cefepime testing performance of BD Phoenix automated susceptibility system (BD Phoenix) and disk diffusion (DD) relative to reference broth microdilution (BMD) against carbapenemase-producing (CPblaKPC-CRE) and non-producing (non-CP CRE) isolates. Cefepime susceptibility results were interpreted according to CLSI M100Ed32. Essential agreement (EA), categorical agreement (CA), minor errors (miEs), major errors (MEs), and very major errors (VMEs) were calculated for BD Phoenix (NMIC-306 Gram-negative panel) and DD relative to BMD. Correlates were also analyzed by the error rate-bounded method. EA and CA for CPblaKPC-CRE isolates (n = 64) were <90% with BD Phoenix while among non-CP CRE isolates (n = 58), EA and CA were 96.6%, and 79.3%, respectively. CA was <90% with DD for both cohorts. No ME or VME was observed for either isolate cohort; however, miEs were >10% for CPblaKPC-CRE and non-CP CRE with BD Phoenix and DD tests. For error rate-bounded method, miEs were <40% for IHigh + 1 to ILow - 1 ranges for CPblaKPC-CRE and non-CP CRE with BD Phoenix. Regarding disk diffusion, miEs were unacceptable for all MIC ranges among CPblaKPC-CRE. For non-CP CRE isolates, only IHigh + 1 to ILow - 1 range was acceptable at 37.2%. Using this challenge set of genotypic-phenotypic discordant CRE, the BD Phoenix MICs and DD susceptibility results trended higher (toward SDD and resistant phenotypes) relative to reference BMD results yielding lower CA. These results were more prominent among CPblaKPC-CRE than non-CP CRE.

Cefepime-Taniborbactam in Complicated Urinary Tract Infection

BACKGROUND

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales species and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa are global health threats. Cefepime-taniborbactam is an investigational β-lactam and β-lactamase inhibitor combination with activity against Enterobacterales species and P. aeruginosa expressing serine and metallo-β-lactamases.

METHODS

In this phase 3, double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned hospitalized adults with complicated urinary tract infection (UTI), including acute pyelonephritis, in a 2:1 ratio to receive intravenous cefepime-taniborbactam (2.5 g) or meropenem (1 g) every 8 hours for 7 days; this duration could be extended up to 14 days in case of bacteremia. The primary outcome was both microbiologic and clinical success (composite success) on trial days 19 to 23 in the microbiologic intention-to-treat (microITT) population (patients who had a qualifying gram-negative pathogen against which both study drugs were active). A prespecified superiority analysis of the primary outcome was performed after confirmation of noninferiority.

RESULTS

Of the 661 patients who underwent randomization, 436 (66.0%) were included in the microITT population. The mean age of the patients was 56.2 years, and 38.1% were 65 years of age or older. In the microITT population, 57.8% of the patients had complicated UTI, 42.2% had acute pyelonephritis, and 13.1% had bacteremia. Composite success occurred in 207 of 293 patients (70.6%) in the cefepime-taniborbactam group and in 83 of 143 patients (58.0%) in the meropenem group. Cefepime-taniborbactam was superior to meropenem regarding the primary outcome (treatment difference, 12.6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, 3.1 to 22.2; P = 0.009). Differences in treatment response were sustained at late follow-up (trial days 28 to 35), when cefepime-taniborbactam had higher composite success and clinical success. Adverse events occurred in 35.5% and 29.0% of patients in the cefepime-taniborbactam group and the meropenem group, respectively, with headache, diarrhea, constipation, hypertension, and nausea the most frequently reported; the frequency of serious adverse events was similar in the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Cefepime-taniborbactam was superior to meropenem for the treatment of complicated UTI that included acute pyelonephritis, with a safety profile similar to that of meropenem. (Funded by Venatorx Pharmaceuticals and others; CERTAIN-1 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03840148.).

Structural role of K224 in taniborbactam inhibition of NDM-1

Taniborbactam (TAN; VNRX-5133) is a novel bicyclic boronic acid β-lactamase inhibitor (BLI) being developed in combination with cefepime (FEP). TAN inhibits both serine and some metallo-β-lactamases. Previously, the substitution R228L in VIM-24 was shown to increase activity against oxyimino-cephalosporins like FEP and ceftazidime (CAZ). We hypothesized that substitutions at K224, the homologous position in NDM-1, could impact FEP/TAN resistance. To evaluate this, a library of codon-optimized NDM K224X clones for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) measurements was constructed; steady-state kinetics and molecular docking simulations were next performed. Surprisingly, our investigation revealed that the addition of TAN restored FEP susceptibility only for NDM-1, as the MICs for the other 19 K224X variants remained comparable to those of FEP alone. Moreover, compared to NDM-1, all K224X variants displayed significantly lower MICs for imipenem, tebipenem, and cefiderocol (32-, 133-, and 33-fold lower, respectively). In contrast, susceptibility to CAZ was mostly unaffected. Kinetic assays with the K224I variant, the only variant with hydrolytic activity to FEP comparable to NDM-1, confirmed that the inhibitory capacity of TAN was modestly compromised (IC50 0.01 µM vs 0.14 µM for NDM-1). Lastly, structural modeling and docking simulations of TAN in NDM-1 and in the K224I variant revealed that the hydrogen bond between TAN's carboxylate with K224 is essential for the productive binding of TAN to the NDM-1 active site. In addition to the report of NDM-9 (E149K) as FEP/TAN resistant, this study demonstrates the fundamental role of single amino acid substitutions in the inhibition of NDM-1 by TAN.

Deciphering mechanisms affecting cefepime-taniborbactam in vitro activity in carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas spp. isolates recovered during a surveillance study in Spain

PURPOSE

To characterize the resistance mechanisms affecting the cefepime-taniborbactam combination in a collection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas spp. (predominantly P. aeruginosa; CRPA) clinical isolates.

METHODS

CPE (n = 247) and CRPA (n = 170) isolates were prospectively collected from patients admitted to 8 Spanish hospitals. Susceptibility to cefepime-taniborbactam and comparators was determined by broth microdilution. Cefepime-taniborbactam was the most active agent, inhibiting 97.6% of CPE and 67.1% of CRPA (MICs ≤ 8/4 mg/L). All isolates with cefepime-taniborbactam MIC > 8/4 mg/L (5 CPE and 52 CRPA) and a subset with MIC ≤ 8/4 mg/L (23 CPE and 24 CRPA) were characterized by whole genome sequencing.

RESULTS

A reduced cefepime-taniborbactam activity was found in two KPC-ST307-Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates with altered porins [KPC-62-K. pneumoniae (OmpA, OmpR/EnvZ), KPC-150-K. pneumoniae (OmpK35, OmpK36)] and one each ST133-VIM-1-Enterobacter hormaechei with altered OmpD, OmpR, and OmpC; IMP-8-ST24-Enterobacter asburiae; and NDM-5-Escherichia coli with an YRIN-inserted PBP3 and a mutated PBP2. Among the P. aeruginosa (68/76), elevated cefepime-taniborbactam MICs were mostly associated with GES-5-ST235, OXA-2+VIM-2-ST235, and OXA-2+VIM-20-ST175 isolates also carrying mutations in PBP3, efflux pump (mexR, mexZ) and AmpC (mpl) regulators, and non-carbapenemase-ST175 isolates with AmpD-T139M and PBP3-R504C mutations. Overall, accumulation of these mutations was frequently detected among non-carbapenemase producers.

CONCLUSIONS

The reduced cefepime-taniborbactam activity among the minority of isolates with elevated cefepime-taniborbactam MICs is not only due to IMP carbapenemases but also to the accumulation of multiple resistance mechanisms, including PBP and porin mutations in CPE and chromosomal mutations leading to efflux pumps up-regulation, AmpC overexpression, and PBP modifications in P. aeruginosa.

New boronate drugs and evolving NDM-mediated beta-lactam resistance

Taniborbactam and xeruborbactam are dual serine-/metallo-beta-lactamase inhibitors (BLIs) based on a cyclic boronic acid pharmacophore that undergo clinical development. Recent report demonstrated that New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)-9 (differs from NDM-1 by a single amino acid substitution, E152K, evolved to overcome Zn (II) deprivation) is resistant to inhibition by taniborbactam constituting pre-existing taniborbactam resistance mechanism. Using microbiological and biochemical experiments, we show that xeruborbactam is capable of inhibiting NDM-9 and propose the structural basis for differences between two BLIs.

Cefepime in vivo activity against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales that test as cefepime susceptible or susceptible-dose dependent in vitro: implications for clinical microbiology laboratory and clinicians

BACKGROUND

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are a public health concern. Among these isolates, there are reports of isolates that test as cefepime susceptible or susceptible-dose dependent (SDD) in vitro despite presence of a carbapenemase. This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profile of cefepime against carbapenemase-producing (CP-CRE) and non-producing (non-CP-CRE) isolates with a range of cefepime MICs.

METHODS

Reference broth microdilution and modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM) were performed on genotypically characterized clinical CRE isolates. Ultimately, CP-CRE (n = 21; blaKPC) and non-CP-CRE (n = 19) isolates with a distribution of cefepime MICs (≤0.5 to >256 mg/L) were utilized in the murine thigh infection model. Mice were treated with cefepime human-simulated regimens (HSRs) representative of a standard dose (1 g q12h 0.5 h infusion) or the SDD dose (2 g q8h 0.5 h infusion). Efficacy was assessed as the change in bacterial growth at 24 h compared with 0 h control, where ≥1 log bacterial reduction is considered translational value for clinical efficacy.

RESULTS

Among both cohorts of CRE isolates, i.e. CP-CRE and non-CP-CRE, that tested as SDD to cefepime in vitro, 1 log bacterial reduction was not attainable with cefepime. Further blunting of cefepime efficacy was observed among CP-CRE isolates compared with non-CP-CRE across both susceptible and SDD categories.

CONCLUSIONS

Data indicate to avoid cefepime for the treatment of serious infections caused by CRE isolates that test as cefepime susceptible or SDD. Data also provide evidence that isolates with the same antibiotic MIC may have different pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profiles due to their antimicrobial resistance mechanism.

Clinically Isolated β-Lactam-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli in a Philippine Tertiary Care Hospital Harbor Multi-Class β-Lactamase Genes

In the Philippines, data are scarce on the co-occurrence of multiple β-lactamases (BLs) in clinically isolated Gram-negative bacilli. To investigate this phenomenon, we characterized BLs from various β-lactam-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from a Philippine tertiary care hospital. The selected Gram-negative bacilli (n = 29) were resistant to either third-generation cephalosporins (resistance category 1 (RC1)), cephalosporins and penicillin-β-lactamase inhibitors (RC2), or carbapenems (RC3). Isolates resistant to other classes of antibiotics but susceptible to early-generation β-lactams were also selected (RC4). All isolates underwent antibiotic susceptibility testing, disk-diffusion-based BL detection assays, and PCR with sequence analysis of extended-spectrum BLs (ESBLs), metallo-BLs, AmpC BLs, and oxacillinases. Among the study isolates, 26/29 harbored multi-class BLs. All RC1 isolates produced ESBLs, with blaCTX-M as the dominant (19/29) gene. RC2 isolates produced ESBLs, four of which harbored blaTEM plus blaOXA-1 or other ESBL genes. RC3 isolates carried blaNDM and blaIMP, particularly in three of the metallo-BL producers. RC4 Enterobacteriaceae carried blaCTX-M, blaTEM, and blaOXA-24-like, while A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa in this category carried either blaIMP or blaOXA-24. Genotypic profiling, in complement with phenotypic characterization, revealed multi-class BLs and cryptic metallo-BLs among β-lactam-resistant Gram-negative bacilli.

Can fosfomycin be an alternative therapy for infections caused by E. coli harbouring dual resistance: NDM and four-amino acid insertion in PBP3?

NDM-expressing Escherichia coli infections are challenging to treat, due to limited treatment options. E. coli with four-amino acid inserts (YRIN/YRIK) are also common in India and it has been reported to reduce the susceptibility to aztreonam/avibactam and the clinically used triple combination ceftazidime/avibactam with aztreonam. Thus, there is a severe dearth of antibiotics to treat infections of NDM + PBP3 insert E. coli. In this study, we determined the susceptibility of E. coli with NDM and PBP3 insert to fosfomycin as an alternative option to treat serious infections. Non-duplicate well-characterized NDM-expressing (without or with co-expression of OXA-48-like) E. coli isolates (n = 213) subsequently carrying four-amino acid inserts in PBP3 were included in this study. MICs of fosfomycin were determined by the agar dilution method with glucose-6-phosphate supplementation, while for other comparators the broth microdilution method was used. Collectively, 98% of NDM-expressing E. coli isolates with PBP3 insert were susceptible to fosfomycin at the MIC of ≤32 mg/L. Resistance to aztreonam was noticed in 38% of the tested isolates. Putting together fosfomycin's in vitro activity, clinical efficacy and safety in randomized controlled trials, we conclude that fosfomycin could be considered as an alternative option to treat infections caused by E. coli harbouring NDM and PBP3 insert resistance mechanisms.

S, Devi R, Baveja S, Devi S, S. J, Bhattacharya S, S. M. R, Yesudhason B, Shetty V, Mutreja A, Manesh A, Varghese GM, Marwick CA, Parcell BJ, Gilbert IH, Veeraraghavan B. In Vitro Activity of Two Cefepime-Based Novel Combinations, Cefepime/Taniborbactam and Cefepime/Zidebactam, against Carbapenemase-Expressing Enterobacterales Collected in India

In recent times, discovery efforts for novel antibiotics have mostly targeted carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative organisms. Two different combination approaches are pertinent: β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor (BL/BLI) or β-lactam-β-lactam enhancer (BL/BLE). Cefepime combined with a BLI, taniborbactam, or with a BLE, zidebactam, has been shown to be promising. In this study, we determined the in vitro activity of both these agents along with comparators against multicentric carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE). Nonduplicate CPE isolates of Escherichia coli (n = 270) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 300), collected from nine different tertiary-care hospitals across India during 2019 to 2021, were included in the study. Carbapenemases in these isolates were detected by PCR. E. coli isolates were also screened for the presence of the 4-amino-acid insert in penicillin binding protein 3 (PBP3). MICs were determined by reference broth microdilution. Higher MICs of cefepime/taniborbactam (>8 mg/L) were linked to NDM, both in K. pneumoniae and in E. coli. In particular, such higher MICs were observed in 88 to 90% of E. coli isolates producing NDM and OXA-48-like or NDM alone. On the other hand, OXA-48-like-producing E. coli or K. pneumoniae isolates were nearly 100% susceptible to cefepime/taniborbactam. Regardless of the carbapenemase types and the pathogens, cefepime/zidebactam showed potent activity (>99% inhibited at ≤8 mg/L). It seems that the 4-amino-acid insert in PBP3 (present universally in the study E. coli isolates) along with NDM adversely impact the activity of cefepime/taniborbactam. Thus, the limitations of the BL/BLI approach in tackling the complex interplay of enzymatic and nonenzymatic resistance mechanisms were better revealed in whole-cell studies where the activity observed was a net effect of β-lactamase inhibition, cellular uptake, and target affinity of the combination. IMPORTANCE The study revealed the differential ability of cefepime/taniborbactam and cefepime/zidebactam in tackling carbapenemase-producing Indian clinical isolates that also harbored additional mechanisms of resistance. NDM-expressing E. coli with 4-amino-acid insert in PBP3 are predominately resistant to cefepime/taniborbactam, while the β-lactam enhancer mechanism-based cefepime/zidebactam showed consistent activity against single- or dual-carbapenemase-producing isolates including E. coli with PBP3 inserts.

In Vitro Activity of Cefepime-Taniborbactam and Comparators against Clinical Isolates of Gram-Negative Bacilli from 2018 to 2020: Results from the Global Evaluation of Antimicrobial Resistance via Surveillance (GEARS) Program

Taniborbactam is a novel cyclic boronate β-lactamase inhibitor in clinical development in combination with cefepime. We assessed the in vitro activity of cefepime-taniborbactam and comparators against a 2018-2020 collection of Enterobacterales (n = 13,731) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 4,619) isolates cultured from infected patients attending hospitals in 56 countries. MICs were determined by CLSI broth microdilution. Taniborbactam was tested at a fixed concentration of 4 μg/mL. Isolates with cefepime-taniborbactam MICs of ≥16 μg/mL underwent whole-genome sequencing. β-lactamase genes were identified in meropenem-resistant isolates by PCR/Sanger sequencing. Against Enterobacterales, taniborbactam reduced the cefepime MIC90 value by >64-fold (from >16 to 0.25 μg/mL). At ≤16 μg/mL, cefepime-taniborbactam inhibited 99.7% of all Enterobacterales isolates; >97% of isolates with multidrug-resistant (MDR) and ceftolozane-tazobactam-resistant phenotypes; ≥90% of isolates with meropenem-resistant, difficult-to-treat-resistant (DTR), meropenem-vaborbactam-resistant, and ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant phenotypes; 100% of VIM-positive, AmpC-positive, and KPC-positive isolates; 98.7% of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-positive; 98.8% of OXA-48-like-positive; and 84.6% of NDM-positive isolates. Against P. aeruginosa, taniborbactam reduced the cefepime MIC90 value by 4-fold (from 32 to 8 μg/mL). At ≤16 μg/mL, cefepime-taniborbactam inhibited 97.4% of all P. aeruginosa isolates; ≥85% of isolates with meropenem-resistant, MDR, and meropenem-vaborbactam-resistant phenotypes; >75% of isolates with DTR, ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant, and ceftolozane-tazobactam-resistant phenotypes; and 87.4% of VIM-positive isolates. Multiple potential mechanisms, including carriage of IMP, certain alterations in PBP3, permeability (porin) defects, and possibly, upregulation of efflux were present in most isolates with cefepime-taniborbactam MICs of ≥16 μg/mL. We conclude that cefepime-taniborbactam exhibited potent in vitro activity against Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa and inhibited most carbapenem-resistant isolates, including those carrying serine carbapenemases or NDM/VIM metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs).