On May 23, the FDA approved a new drug intended to treat hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus, a critical bacterial pathogen.
The drug, Xacduro (sulbactam for injection; durlobactam for injection), works to simultaneously protect itself and kill A. baumannii. In a phase 3 trial, 19 percent of Xacduro patients died, compared to 32 percent of deaths among those who took colistin, a comparator antibiotic.
A. baumannii tops the World Health Organization's list of critical pathogens that pose a high risk to human health, and the bacteria "can become highly resistant to multiple antibacterial drugs and current treatment options for drug-resistant A. baumannii are limited," the FDA said.
Xacduro, made by Entasis Therapeutics, is approved for adults.