Antimicrobial Activity of Ceftolozane-Tazobactam Tested against Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with Various Resistance Patterns Isolated in U.S. Hospitals (2011-2012)
ABSTRACTCeftolozane/tazobactam, a novel antimicrobial agent with activity againstPseudomonas aeruginosa(including drug-resistant strains) and other common Gram-negative pathogens (including most extended-spectrum-β-lactamase [ESBL]-producingEnterobacteriaceaestrains), and comparator agents were susceptibility tested by a reference broth microdilution method against 7,071Enterobacteriaceaeand 1,971P. aeruginosaisolates. Isolates were collected consecutively from patients in 32 medical centers across the United States during 2011 to 2012. Overall, 15.7% and 8.9% ofP. aeruginosaisolates were classified as multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR), and 8.4% and 1.2% ofEnterobacteriaceaewere classified as MDR and XDR. No pandrug-resistant (PDR)Enterobacteriaceaeisolates and only one PDRP. aeruginosaisolate were detected. Ceftolozane/tazobactam was the most potent (MIC50/90, 0.5/2 μg/ml) agent tested againstP. aeruginosaand demonstrated good activity against 310 MDR strains (MIC50/90, 2/8 μg/ml) and 175 XDR strains (MIC50/90, 4/16 μg/ml). Ceftolozane/tazobactam exhibited high overall activity (MIC50/90, 0.25/1 μg/ml) againstEnterobacteriaceaeand retained activity (MIC50/90, 4/>32 μg/ml) against many 601 MDR strains but not against the 86 XDR strains (MIC50, >32 μg/ml). Ceftolozane/tazobactam was highly potent (MIC50/90, 0.25/0.5 μg/ml) against 2,691Escherichia coliisolates and retained good activity against most ESBL-phenotypeE. coliisolates (MIC50/90, 0.5/4 μg/ml), but activity was low against ESBL-phenotypeKlebsiella pneumoniaeisolates (MIC50/90, 32/>32 μg/ml), explained by the high rate (39.8%) of meropenem coresistance observed in this species phenotype. In summary, ceftolozane/tazobactam demonstrated high potency and broad-spectrum activity against many contemporaryEnterobacteriaceaeandP. aeruginosaisolates collected in U.S. medical centers. Importantly, ceftolozane/tazobactam retained potency against many MDR and XDR strains.