Outcomes by Candida spp. in the ReSTORE Phase 3 trial of rezafungin versus caspofungin for candidemia and/or invasive candidiasis.

Rezafungin is a long-acting, intravenously administered echinocandin for the treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis (IC). Non-inferiority of rezafungin vs caspofungin for the treatment of adults with candidemia and/or IC was demonstrated in the Phase 3 ReSTORE study based on the primary endpoints of day 14 global cure and 30-day all-cause mortality. Here, an analysis of ReSTORE data evaluating efficacy outcomes by baseline Candida species is described. Susceptibility testing was performed for Candida species using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute reference broth microdilution method. There were 93 patients in the modified intent-to-treat population who received rezafungin; 94 received caspofungin. Baseline Candida species distribution was similar in the two treatment groups; C. albicans (occurring in 41.9% and 42.6% of patients in the rezafungin and caspofungin groups, respectively), C. glabrata (25.8% and 26.6%), and C. tropicalis (21.5% and 18.1%) were the most common pathogens. Rates of global cure and mycological eradication at day 14 and day 30 all-cause mortality by Candida species were comparable in the rezafungin and caspofungin treatment groups and did not appear to be impacted by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for either rezafungin or caspofungin. Two patients had baseline isolates with non-susceptible MIC values (both in the rezafungin group: one non-susceptible to rezafungin and one to caspofungin, classified as intermediate); both were candidemia-only patients in whom rezafungin treatment was successful based on the day 30 all-cause mortality endpoint. This analysis of ReSTORE demonstrated the efficacy of rezafungin for candidemia and IC in patients infected with a variety of Candida species.

Engineered peptide PLG0206 overcomes limitations of a challenging antimicrobial drug class.

The absence of novel antibiotics for drug-resistant and biofilm-associated infections is a global public health crisis. Antimicrobial peptides explored to address this need have encountered significant development challenges associated with size, toxicity, safety profile, and pharmacokinetics. We designed PLG0206, an engineered antimicrobial peptide, to address these limitations. PLG0206 has broad-spectrum activity against >1,200 multidrug-resistant (MDR) ESKAPEE clinical isolates, is rapidly bactericidal, and displays potent anti-biofilm activity against diverse MDR pathogens. PLG0206 displays activity in diverse animal infection models following both systemic (urinary tract infection) and local (prosthetic joint infection) administration. These findings support continuing clinical development of PLG0206 and validate use of rational design for peptide therapeutics to overcome limitations associated with difficult-to-drug pharmaceutical targets.

In vitro activity of omadacycline and levofloxacin against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus saprophyticus in human urine supplemented with calcium and magnesium.

BACKGROUND: Omadacycline, an aminomethylcycline, was approved in 2018 for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. In a Phase Ib study, around 34% of the absorbed dose of omadacycline was shown to be excreted in urine-an important property for urinary tract infection (UTI) treatment. Therefore, omadacycline has been studied in two Phase II trials for the treatment of uncomplicated UTIs and acute pyelonephritis. The activity of omadacycline against UTI pathogens in human urine is important to understand in this context. OBJECTIVES: To study the in vitro activity of omadacycline against UTI pathogens in human urine supplemented with calcium and magnesium. METHODS: Omadacycline activity was compared with that of levofloxacin against the urinary pathogens Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus saprophyticus in standard medium, pooled normal human urine and neutral pH-adjusted pooled normal human urine spiked with calcium or magnesium at concentrations consistent with hypercalcaemia and hypermagnesaemia. RESULTS: The activities of omadacycline and levofloxacin against these urinary pathogens were lower in urine relative to standard medium; addition of Mg2+ to broth and urine had a further negative impact on omadacycline activity, whereas the addition of Ca2+ had less of an impact. Levofloxacin activity was not substantially reduced in either broth or urine by the addition of divalent cations. CONCLUSIONS: The activity of omadacycline against UTI organisms was lower in urine relative to standard medium and was negatively impacted by magnesium. Omadacycline displayed slightly reduced activity when excess calcium was present, but, overall, the differences were ≤2-fold. These observations should be considered along with the pharmacokinetics of the agent for clinical context.

In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization of Tebipenem, an Oral Carbapenem.

The continued evolution of bacterial resistance to the ß-lactam class of antibiotics has necessitated countermeasures to ensure continued effectiveness in the treatment of infections caused by bacterial pathogens. One relatively successful approach has been the development of new ß-lactam analogs with advantages over prior compounds in this class. The carbapenems are an example of such ß-lactam analogs possessing improved stability against ß-lactamase enzymes and, therefore, a wider spectrum of activity. However, all carbapenems currently marketed for adult patients are intravenous agents, and there is an unmet need for an oral agent to treat patients that otherwise do not require hospitalization. Tebipenem pivoxil hydrobromide (tebipenem-PI-HBr or SPR994) is an orally available prodrug of tebipenem, a carbapenem with activity versus multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative pathogens, including quinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum-ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales Tebipenem-PI-HBr is currently in development for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI). Microbiological data are presented here that demonstrate equivalency of tebipenem with intravenous carbapenems such as meropenem and support its use in infections in which the potency and spectrum of a carbapenem are desired. The results from standard in vitro microbiology assays as well as efficacy in several in vivo mouse infection models suggest that tebipenem-PI-HBr could be a valuable oral agent available to physicians for the treatment of infections, particularly those caused by antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative pathogens.

In vitro activity of the novel antibacterial agent ibezapolstat (ACX-362E) against Clostridioides difficile.

BACKGROUND: Ibezapolstat (ACX-362E) is the first DNA polymerase IIIC inhibitor undergoing clinical development for the oral treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). METHODS: In this study, the in vitro activity of ibezapolstat was evaluated against a panel of 104 isolates of C. difficile, including those with characterized ribotypes (e.g. 027 and 078) and those producing toxin A or B and was shown to have similar activity to those of comparators against these strains. RESULTS: The overall MIC50/90 (mg/L) for ibezapolstat against evaluated C. difficile was 2/4, compared with 0.5/4 for metronidazole, 1/4 for vancomycin and 0.5/2 for fidaxomicin. In addition, the bactericidal activity of ibezapolstat was evaluated against actively growing C. difficile by determining the MBC against three C. difficile isolates. Time-kill kinetic assays were additionally performed against the three C. difficile isolates, with metronidazole and vancomycin as comparators. CONCLUSIONS: The killing of C. difficile by ibezapolstat was observed to occur at concentrations similar to its MIC, as demonstrated by MBC:MIC ratios and reflected in time-kill kinetic assays. This activity highlights the therapeutic potential of ibezapolstat for the treatment of CDI.

Evaluation of Resistance Development to the Gwt1 Inhibitor Manogepix (APX001A) in Candida Species.

Manogepix (MGX) targets the conserved fungal Gwt1 enzyme required for acylation of inositol early in the glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis pathway. The prodrug fosmanogepix is currently in clinical development for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. We determined that the median frequencies of spontaneous mutations conferring reduced susceptibility to MGX in Candida albicans, C. glabrata, and C. parapsilosis ranged from 3 × 10-8 to <1.85 × 10-8 Serial passage on agar identified mutants of C. albicans and C. parapsilosis with reduced susceptibility to MGX; however, this methodology did not result in C. glabrata mutants with reduced susceptibility. Similarly, serial passage in broth resulted in ≤2-fold changes in population MIC values for C. tropicalis, C. auris, and C. glabrata A spontaneous V163A mutation in the Gwt1 protein of C. glabrata and a corresponding C. albicans heterozygous V162A mutant were obtained. A C. glabrata V163A Gwt1 mutant generated using CRISPR, along with V162A and V168A mutants expressed in C. albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Gwt1, respectively, all demonstrated reduced susceptibility to MGX versus control strains, suggesting the importance of this valine residue to MGX binding across different species. Cross-resistance to the three major classes of antifungals was evaluated, but no changes in susceptibility to amphotericin B or caspofungin were observed in any mutant. No change was observed in fluconazole susceptibility, with the exception of a single non-Gwt1 mutant, where a 4-fold increase in the fluconazole MIC was observed. MGX demonstrated a relatively low potential for resistance development, consistent with other approved antifungal agents and those in clinical development.

Potent LpxC Inhibitors with In Vitro Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

New drugs with novel mechanisms of resistance are desperately needed to address both community and nosocomial infections due to Gram-negative bacteria. One such potential target is LpxC, an essential enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step of lipid A biosynthesis. Achaogen conducted an extensive research campaign to discover novel LpxC inhibitors with activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa We report here the in vitro antibacterial activity and pharmacodynamics of ACHN-975, the only molecule from these efforts and the first ever LpxC inhibitor to be evaluated in phase 1 clinical trials. In addition, we describe the profiles of three additional LpxC inhibitors that were identified as potential lead molecules. These efforts did not produce an additional development candidate with a sufficiently large therapeutic window and the program was subsequently terminated.

Comparison of the in vitro antibacterial activity of Ramizol, fidaxomicin, vancomycin, and metronidazole against 100 clinical isolates of Clostridium difficile by broth microdilution.

Antibiotic drug development remains a major challenge with few candidates in clinical development. Ramizol, a first-in-class styrylbenzene antibiotic, is under development for the treatment of Clostridium difficile associated disease. Here, we investigate the in vitro antibacterial activity of Ramizol in comparison to fidaxomicin, vancomycin and metronidazole against 100 clinical isolates of C. difficile by the broth microdilution method. We show there is no apparent impact of ribotype, toxin-production, or resistance to fidaxomicin, vancomycin or metronidazole on the activity of Ramizol. Moreover, we show Ramizol has a narrower MIC range translating to potentially better control over the therapeutic dose. Together, these results support the further development of Ramizol for the treatment of C. difficile associated disease.

In Vitro Activities of Omadacycline and Comparators against Anaerobic Bacteria.

Omadacycline (OMC), a broad-spectrum aminomethylcycline, has shown clinical efficacy in anaerobic acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) and in animal models of intra-abdominal anaerobic infections. Here, the in vitro activity of OMC against clinically relevant anaerobes was similar to that of tigecycline, with MIC90 values of 1 to 8 µg/ml against Bacteroides spp., 0.5 µg/ml against Clostridium difficile, Prevotella spp., and Porphyromonas asaccharolytica, 1 µg/ml against Peptostreptococcus spp., and 16 µg/ml against Clostridium perfringens.

In vitro potency and fungicidal activity of CD101, a novel echinocandin, against recent clinical isolates of Candida spp.

Candida infections vary in severity and manifestation. Common infections include invasive bloodstream infections among hospitalized/immunocompromised patients and vulvovaginal candidiasis among women. Echinocandins and azoles are commonly utilized to treat Candida infections, although echinocandin use has been restricted to indications amenable to once-daily IV administration. CD101, a novel echinocandin with a long plasma half-life and enhanced stability, is in development for once-weekly IV administration for the treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis. In this study, the MIC of CD101 and comparators against 500 recent clinical Candida isolates was determined per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. For select isolates, the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC; n=49) and time-kill (n=9) of CD101 and comparators was evaluated. The MIC50/90s (µg/mL; n=100/species) for CD101, anidulafungin, fluconazole, and amphotericin B, respectively, were: C. albicans (0.008/0.03, 0.004/0.008, 0.25/4, 0.25/0.5), C. tropicalis (0.008/0.03, 0.004/0.015, 0.5/2, 0.5/1), C. parapsilosis (1/1, 0.5/2, 0.5/1, 0.5/1), C. glabrata (0.03/0.03, 0.03/0.03, 8/>32, 0.5/0.5), and C. krusei (0.03/0.03, 0.03/0.03, 32/>32, 1/1). CD101 MICs were comparable to anidulafungin and both maintained potency against fluconazole-resistant isolates. Against rare anidulafungin-resistant isolates, the MICs of CD101 and anidulafungin were elevated vs. anidulafungin-susceptible isolates. Similar to anidulafungin, CD101 was fungicidal with an MFC:MIC ratio ≤4 for 95% of evaluable isolates and resulted in 3-log killing by 24-48h for all isolates evaluated by time-kill. The potent fungicidal activity of CD101 highlights the potential clinical utility of CD101 IV for the treatment of invasive candidiasis and candidemia.

Evaluation of the bactericidal activity of Telavancin against Staphylococcus aureus using revised testing guidelines.

The in vitro broth microdilution testing method for telavancin, a lipoglycopeptide active against S. aureus, was revised in 2014 to include polysorbate-80 in the test media. This study evaluates the bactericidal activity of telavancin against S. aureus in media containing polysorbate-80 by in vitro time-kill analysis alongside relevant comparators.

Comparative in vitro activity of oritavancin and other agents against methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections constitute a threat to the public health due to their prevalence and associated mortality and morbidity. Several agents have been recently approved to treat MRSA skin infections including lipoglycopeptides (dalbavancin, oritavancin, and telavancin), ceftaroline, and tedizolid. This study compared the MIC, minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and time-kill of these agents alongside daptomycin, linezolid, and vancomycin against MRSA (n=15); meropenem, cefazolin, and nafcillin were also included against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA [n=12]). MIC and MBC testing was conducted in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, and time-kills were evaluated at multiples of the MIC and the free-drug maximum plasma concentration (fCmax) at both standard and high inoculum densities for a subset of MRSA (n=2) and MSSA (n=2). MRSA and MSSA were highly susceptible to all agents, with the lipoglycopeptides having the most potent activity by MIC50/90. All agents excluding tedizolid and linezolid were bactericidal by MBC for MRSA and MSSA, though dalbavancin and telavancin exhibited strain-specific bactericidal activity for MRSA. All agents excluding tedizolid and linezolid were bactericidal by time-kill at their respective fCmax against MRSA and MSSA at standard inoculum density, though oritavancin exhibited the most rapid bactericidal activity. Oritavancin and daptomycin at their respective fCmax maintained similar kill curves at high inoculum density. In contrast, the killing observed with other agents was typically reduced or slowed at high inoculum density. These data demonstrate the rapid bactericidal activity of oritavancin and daptomycin against S. aureus relative to other MRSA agents regardless of bacterial burden.

In vitro susceptibility testing of eravacycline is unaffected by medium age and nonstandard assay parameters.

Eravacycline is a fluorocycline antibiotic in phase 3 clinical development for complicated intra-abdominal and urinary tract infections. To support its clinical development, a study was conducted to evaluate the effects of various susceptibility test parameters on the MIC values for aerobic bacteria. The results showed that eravacycline appears to be largely unaffected by medium age, medium additives, and other nonstandard assay conditions.

Five-year longitudinal assessment (2008 to 2012) of E-101 solution activity against clinical target and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.

This study summarizes the topical E-101 solution susceptibility testing results for 760 Gram-positive and Gram-negative target pathogens collected from 75 U.S. sites between 2008 and 2012 and 103 ESKAPE pathogens. E-101 solution maintained potent activity against all bacterial species studied for each year tested, with MICs ranging from <0.008 to 0.25 µg porcine myeloperoxidase (pMPO)/ml. These results confirm that E-101 solution retains its potent broad-spectrum activity against U.S. clinical isolates and organisms with challenging resistance phenotypes.

Tricyclic GyrB/ParE (TriBE) inhibitors: a new class of broad-spectrum dual-targeting antibacterial agents.

Increasing resistance to every major class of antibiotics and a dearth of novel classes of antibacterial agents in development pipelines has created a dwindling reservoir of treatment options for serious bacterial infections. The bacterial type IIA topoisomerases, DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, are validated antibacterial drug targets with multiple prospective drug binding sites, including the catalytic site targeted by the fluoroquinolone antibiotics. However, growing resistance to fluoroquinolones, frequently mediated by mutations in the drug-binding site, is increasingly limiting the utility of this antibiotic class, prompting the search for other inhibitor classes that target different sites on the topoisomerase complexes. The highly conserved ATP-binding subunits of DNA gyrase (GyrB) and topoisomerase IV (ParE) have long been recognized as excellent candidates for the development of dual-targeting antibacterial agents with broad-spectrum potential. However, to date, no natural product or small molecule inhibitors targeting these sites have succeeded in the clinic, and no inhibitors of these enzymes have yet been reported with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity encompassing the majority of Gram-negative pathogens. Using structure-based drug design (SBDD), we have created a novel dual-targeting pyrimidoindole inhibitor series with exquisite potency against GyrB and ParE enzymes from a broad range of clinically important pathogens. Inhibitors from this series demonstrate potent, broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens of clinical importance, including fluoroquinolone resistant and multidrug resistant strains. Lead compounds have been discovered with clinical potential; they are well tolerated in animals, and efficacious in Gram-negative infection models.

In vitro activity and microbiological efficacy of tedizolid (TR-700) against Gram-positive clinical isolates from a phase 2 study of oral tedizolid phosphate (TR-701) in patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections.

Tedizolid (TR-700, formerly torezolid) is the active moiety of the prodrug tedizolid phosphate (TR-701), a next-generation oxazolidinone, with high potency against Gram-positive species, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). A recently completed randomized, double-blind phase 2 trial evaluated 200, 300, or 400 mg of oral tedizolid phosphate once daily for 5 to 7 days in patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections. This report examines the in vitro activity of tedizolid and Zyvox (linezolid) against Gram-positive pathogens isolated at baseline and describes the microbiological and clinical efficacy of tedizolid. Of 196 isolates tested, 81.6% were S. aureus, and of these, 76% were MRSA. The MIC(50) and MIC(90) of tedizolid against both methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and MRSA were 0.25 µg/ml, compared with a MIC(50) of 1 µg/ml and MIC(90) of 2 µg/ml for linezolid. For coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 7), viridans group streptococci (n = 15), and beta-hemolytic streptococci (n = 3), the MICs ranged from 0.03 to 0.25 µg/ml for tedizolid and from 0.12 to 1 µg/ml for linezolid. The microbiological eradication rates at the test-of-cure visit (7 to 14 days posttreatment) in the microbiologically evaluable population (n = 133) were similar in all treatment groups, with overall eradication rates of 97.7% for all pathogens, 97.9% for MRSA, and 95.7% for MSSA. The clinical cure rates for MRSA and MSSA infections were 96.9% and 95.7%, respectively, across all dose groups. This study confirms the potent in vitro activity of tedizolid against pathogenic Gram-positive cocci, including MRSA, and its 4-fold-greater potency in comparison with linezolid. All dosages of tedizolid phosphate showed excellent microbiological and clinical efficacy against MRSA and MSSA.

Multidrug resistance among Acinetobacter spp. in the USA and activity profile of key agents: results from CAPITAL Surveillance 2010.

Multidrug resistance among Acinetobacter spp. leaves few effective antibiotic options for treatment. To monitor antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter spp., the US CAPITAL 2010 Surveillance data were evaluated by patient demographics, specimen source, and hospital ward. Isolates (N=514) were collected from 65 sites across the USA and Puerto Rico. Isolates were centrally tested for susceptibility to carbapenems and key antimicrobials by broth microdilution. Colistin was the most effective agent tested, with 95% susceptibility. The overall susceptibility of Acinetobacter spp. was low (39% for piperacillin/tazobactam, 41% for levofloxacin, 45% for ceftazidime, 47-51% for the carbapenems, and 58% for tobramycin). Multidrug resistance (MDR), defined as resistance to ≥3 antimicrobial agent groups, was detected in 54% of the isolates. MDR isolates were most common among elderly patients (65%), lower respiratory tract isolates (62%), and inpatient/intensive care unit isolates (54-58%). These data update trends in the distribution and prevalence of the MDR phenotype in Acinetobacter spp.

Longitudinal survey of carbapenem resistance and resistance mechanisms in Enterobacteriaceae and non-fermenters from the USA in 2007-09.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance is problematic in Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, and is often associated with serious infections. Carbapenems are often one of the few remaining therapeutic options, so it is important to monitor carbapenem activity against these pathogens and to identify resistance mechanisms. METHODS: Carbapenem susceptibilities were determined for 14 359 Enterobacteriaceae, 3614 P. aeruginosa and 994 A. baumannii from the USA (2007-09). Klebsiella pneumoniae with doripenem MICs ≥2 mg/L (n = 88), and P. aeruginosa (n = 452), A. baumannii (n = 349) and other enterics (n = 13) with doripenem MICs ≥4 mg/L were screened for carbapenem resistance mechanisms. RESULTS: Doripenem/meropenem and imipenem susceptibilities for Enterobacteriaceae were >99% and 89%, respectively. Doripenem susceptibility (2007-09) for P. aeruginosa was 87.4%-84.1%; comparable to meropenem and higher than imipenem. For A. baumannii, doripenem susceptibility (2007-09) was 63%-58.2%; lower than imipenem and meropenem. Resistant K. pneumoniae had KPC and lacked porins OmpK35/OmpK36. In 2009, 3.4% of all K. pneumoniae possessed KPC. Five other enterics and one P. aeruginosa possessed KPC. Resistance mechanisms in P. aeruginosa were loss of porin OprD (90%), efflux (55%) and elevated AmpC activity (25%). Acquired carbapenemases OXA-23/-24 were present in 48% of resistant A. baumannii. VIM metallo-ß-lactamases were present in three P. aeruginosa and one A. baumannii isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Doripenem and meropenem were more active than imipenem against Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa from the USA. Carbapenem resistance mechanisms included serine carbapenemases, elevated AmpC activity, efflux and porin deficiencies occurring mostly in P. aeruginosa. Metallo-ß-lactamases were found in <0.1% of isolates.