Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global threat, with projections indicating that deaths related to drug resistance could increase to 10 million per year by 2050.
It is one of the major public health threat in Europe. The World Health Organisation estimates that in the WHO European Region, AMR directly causes 133,000 deaths and is indirectly linked to 541,000 deaths each year.
A lot of deaths are caused due to infections caused by multidrug-resistant gram negative bacteria like Klebsiella pneumoniae, pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. The new beta lactam inhibitor combinations are helping the medical team fight against the rising superbugs.
Europe has relied on the Beta Lactams like penicillin, cephalosporin, carbapenems, etc as their first line treatments. This has caused the resistance to explode as the bacteria has started producing beta lactams that neutralises the drugs. Older combinations like extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), AmpC-type enzymes and carbapenems including Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are now ineffective.
Europe’s New Hope
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved certain new β-lactam inhibitor antibiotics such as Cefepime/Enmetazobactam, Aztreonam/Avibactam and Sulbactam/Durlobactam.
Cefepime/Enmetazobactam
- Cefapime is a fourth generation cephalosporin with broad spectrum activity. When combined with Enmetazobactam, a β-lactamase inhibitor targeting ESBLs, they offer enhanced activity against resistant strains.
- It is active against ESBL – producing Enterobacterial and a good option to treat complicated urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections.
Aztreonam/Avibactam
- Aztreonam is effective against Gram-negative bacteria, and when combined with Avibactam, it produces a significant resistance mechanism.
- It is used in compassionate care and is still under EMA review. It is unique as it is effective against the bacteria that is resistant to nearly all other β-lactams, i.e. Metallo- β-lactamases.
Sulbactam/Durlobactam
- It has been recently approved in the US and is under EMA consideration. It is specially developed for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infection (A major IC threat In Southern Europe).
Europe has all the tools like right policies, diagnostics and access to antibiotic combinations like Cefepime/Enmetazobactam, Aztreonam/Avibactam, Sulbactam/Durlobactam, it can curb its AMR crisis.
