The US FDA has approved the combination of sulbactam and durlobactam as treatment for adults with nosocomial pneumonia caused by Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex. The co-packaged (1 g of each drug) drug is likely to be available by the end of this year under the name of Xacduro. Sulbactam is a penicillin derivative with bactericidal activity against A. baumannii. Durlobactam is a beta-lactamase inhibitor and protects degradation of sulbactam by beta-lactamase that may be produced by A. baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii has been designated as a priority pathogen in the critical category by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its global priority pathogens list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.²

Indication: Hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia

Dose and administration: The drug is to be administered as IV infusion (over 3 hours) every 6 hours

Side effects: Diarrhea, anemia, abnormal liver function tests, hypokalemia

Warning and precautions

• Hypersensitivity reactions
• Risk of Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea

References

1. FDA news release. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-treatment-pneumonia-caused-certain-difficult-treat-bacteria. May 23, 2023. Accessed on May 27, 2023.
2. https://www.who.int/news/item/27-02-2017-who-publishes-list-of-bacteria-for-which-new-antibiotics-are-urgently-needed. February 27, 2017. Accessed on May 27, 2023.