Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2018/07/stewardship-resistance-scan-jul-27-2018
Stewardship / Resistance Scan for Jul 27, 2018
Iowa State AMR research center; Gram-negative ICU infections; Firm pares antibiotic R&D; Antibiotics for kids' LRTIs
Filed Under:
Antimicrobial Stewardship
[h=3]Iowa State to host new antimicrobial resistance research center[/h] Iowa State University will lead a new research institute to address antimicrobial resistance, with partners including the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), two other universities, and the Mayo Clinic, Iowa State said in a news release yesterday.
The Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education will be based at the Ames campus and was created through a joint task force from the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. The center will receive $1.6 million in funds for its first 3 years and will seek to improve the health of people, animals, and the environment. Iowa State was chosen among eight applicants.
"Antimicrobial resistance touches each of us in our daily lives. This new institute provides a great resource for the entire country as we work to build strong, collaborative research and educational programs to mitigate this risk,? said Paul Plummer, DVM, associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine at Iowa State who will serve as the new center's director.
Iowa State researchers will coordinate efforts with scientists with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska Medical Center, the University of Iowa, and the Mayo Clinic.
Jul 26 Iowa State news release
[h=3]ICU pathogens often gram-negative, mostly susceptible to antibiotics[/h] An analysis of 6,091 bacterial isolates from the intensive care units (ICUs) of 75 US medical centers in 2015 through 2017 determined that 67% were gram-negative bacteria, and all but two pathogens demonstrated high susceptibility to common antibiotics, according to a study today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
Researchers from JMI Laboratories in North Liberty, Iowa, tested the samples, collected as part of the International Network for Optimal Resistance Monitoring program, for susceptibility to multiple antimicrobial agents using broth microdilution. The most common organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (30.0%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20.7%), Klebsiella (11.8%), Enterobacter (8.3%), Escherichia coli (7.1%), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (5.1%).
Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from 67.1% of the patients, the researchers noted, and P aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae represented more than 80% of gram-negative organisms.
The most effective agents against P aeruginosa were colistin (99.8% susceptible), ceftazidime/avibactam (96.8% susceptible in 2015-17 and 96.2% in 2017) and ceftolozane/tazobactam (96.5% in 2017). The most effective drugs against Enterobacteriaceae were ceftazidime/avibactam (100.0% susceptible), amikacin (99.4%) and meropenem (97.6%). S maltophilia and Acinetobacter baumannii, in contrast, showed high resistance rates to most antimicrobials tested.
Jul 27 J Antimicrob Chemother abstract
[h=3]Drug firm cuts R&D efforts against gram-negative MDR bacteria[/h] Drug developer Achaogen announced in a news release yesterday that it is cutting antibiotic research and development (R&D) to focus on commercializing Zemdri (plazomicin) and other efforts, further narrowing the drug development pipeline.
The company, based in South San Francisco, Calif., and geared toward developing agents against multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, said it is restructuring to focus on selling Zemdri in the United States after Food and Drug Administration approval for the drug's treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and on pursuing approval for Zemdri in Europe. Its R&D efforts will focus on developing C-Scape, an orally administered beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination, and new aminoglycoside antibiotics, both of which have stable funding.
Achaogen will cut spending on early-stage R&D , technical operations, and other expenses. It will lay off about 80 workers, or 28% of its workforce, including some top executives.
"The environment for novel antibacterials requires us to improve our cost structure and narrow our focus to position the company for long-term success," said Achaogen CEO Blake Wise, MBA. "I am saddened to announce a restructuring that broadly impacts the organization, including high caliber partners on the executive team."
Jul 26 Achaogen press release
[h=3]Small Chinese study analyzes optimal azithromycin in kids with LRTIs[/h] A small study today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy shows the clinical benefits of early target attainment with azithromycin therapy in children with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs).
In the study, conducted at Beijing Children's Hospital from 2014 through 2017, 44 children with LRTIs were analyzed to assess and optimize antibiotic therapy. To evaluate target attainment, azithromycin trough levels were collected within the first 2 calendar days of hospitalization, and the relationship between trough concentrations during the first 24 to 48 hours and effectiveness and safety was explored.
The results showed that children with trough concentrations higher than 0.25 milligrams per liter (n= 8) had better antibacterial efficacy in terms of C-reactive protein (P = 0.006) and the percentage of neutrophils (P = 0.043) compared with children with trough concentrations lower than 0.25 mg/L (n = 36). No drug-related adverse events were associated with azithromycin therapy.
The authors say prospective trials in a large pediatric population are needed to confirm this observation.
Jul 27 J Antimicrob Chemother study
Stewardship / Resistance Scan for Jul 27, 2018
Iowa State AMR research center; Gram-negative ICU infections; Firm pares antibiotic R&D; Antibiotics for kids' LRTIs
Filed Under:
Antimicrobial Stewardship
[h=3]Iowa State to host new antimicrobial resistance research center[/h] Iowa State University will lead a new research institute to address antimicrobial resistance, with partners including the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), two other universities, and the Mayo Clinic, Iowa State said in a news release yesterday.
The Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education will be based at the Ames campus and was created through a joint task force from the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. The center will receive $1.6 million in funds for its first 3 years and will seek to improve the health of people, animals, and the environment. Iowa State was chosen among eight applicants.
"Antimicrobial resistance touches each of us in our daily lives. This new institute provides a great resource for the entire country as we work to build strong, collaborative research and educational programs to mitigate this risk,? said Paul Plummer, DVM, associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine at Iowa State who will serve as the new center's director.
Iowa State researchers will coordinate efforts with scientists with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska Medical Center, the University of Iowa, and the Mayo Clinic.
Jul 26 Iowa State news release
[h=3]ICU pathogens often gram-negative, mostly susceptible to antibiotics[/h] An analysis of 6,091 bacterial isolates from the intensive care units (ICUs) of 75 US medical centers in 2015 through 2017 determined that 67% were gram-negative bacteria, and all but two pathogens demonstrated high susceptibility to common antibiotics, according to a study today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
Researchers from JMI Laboratories in North Liberty, Iowa, tested the samples, collected as part of the International Network for Optimal Resistance Monitoring program, for susceptibility to multiple antimicrobial agents using broth microdilution. The most common organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (30.0%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20.7%), Klebsiella (11.8%), Enterobacter (8.3%), Escherichia coli (7.1%), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (5.1%).
Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from 67.1% of the patients, the researchers noted, and P aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae represented more than 80% of gram-negative organisms.
The most effective agents against P aeruginosa were colistin (99.8% susceptible), ceftazidime/avibactam (96.8% susceptible in 2015-17 and 96.2% in 2017) and ceftolozane/tazobactam (96.5% in 2017). The most effective drugs against Enterobacteriaceae were ceftazidime/avibactam (100.0% susceptible), amikacin (99.4%) and meropenem (97.6%). S maltophilia and Acinetobacter baumannii, in contrast, showed high resistance rates to most antimicrobials tested.
Jul 27 J Antimicrob Chemother abstract
[h=3]Drug firm cuts R&D efforts against gram-negative MDR bacteria[/h] Drug developer Achaogen announced in a news release yesterday that it is cutting antibiotic research and development (R&D) to focus on commercializing Zemdri (plazomicin) and other efforts, further narrowing the drug development pipeline.
The company, based in South San Francisco, Calif., and geared toward developing agents against multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, said it is restructuring to focus on selling Zemdri in the United States after Food and Drug Administration approval for the drug's treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and on pursuing approval for Zemdri in Europe. Its R&D efforts will focus on developing C-Scape, an orally administered beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination, and new aminoglycoside antibiotics, both of which have stable funding.
Achaogen will cut spending on early-stage R&D , technical operations, and other expenses. It will lay off about 80 workers, or 28% of its workforce, including some top executives.
"The environment for novel antibacterials requires us to improve our cost structure and narrow our focus to position the company for long-term success," said Achaogen CEO Blake Wise, MBA. "I am saddened to announce a restructuring that broadly impacts the organization, including high caliber partners on the executive team."
Jul 26 Achaogen press release
[h=3]Small Chinese study analyzes optimal azithromycin in kids with LRTIs[/h] A small study today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy shows the clinical benefits of early target attainment with azithromycin therapy in children with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs).
In the study, conducted at Beijing Children's Hospital from 2014 through 2017, 44 children with LRTIs were analyzed to assess and optimize antibiotic therapy. To evaluate target attainment, azithromycin trough levels were collected within the first 2 calendar days of hospitalization, and the relationship between trough concentrations during the first 24 to 48 hours and effectiveness and safety was explored.
The results showed that children with trough concentrations higher than 0.25 milligrams per liter (n= 8) had better antibacterial efficacy in terms of C-reactive protein (P = 0.006) and the percentage of neutrophils (P = 0.043) compared with children with trough concentrations lower than 0.25 mg/L (n = 36). No drug-related adverse events were associated with azithromycin therapy.
The authors say prospective trials in a large pediatric population are needed to confirm this observation.
Jul 27 J Antimicrob Chemother study