Antimicrobial Stewardship

The FDA has accepted Shionogi's supplemental New Drug Application seeking to expand the indication for cefiderocol (Fetroja) to pediatric patients with hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia and complicated urinary tract infections caused by susceptible Gram-negative bacteria, with a regulatory decision expected in February 2027.

This week, read about how laboratory antimicrobial susceptibility results may not predict clinical outcomes, watch a clinician discuss the DOTS and PETERPEN trials, the FDA has granted Priority Review to expand dolutegravir use to newborns with HIV, and more.

Standard susceptibility testing is performed under controlled conditions that often fail to reflect real-world infections, leading to potential misinterpretation of antibiotic activity in patients with bacteremia.

Results from the global SNAP trial find penicillin as effective as, and safer than, cloxacillin or flucloxacillin for penicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Results from the SNAP global trial find cefazolin as effective and safer than the antistaphylococcal penicillins cloxacillin or flucloxacillin for methicillin-sensitive S aureus bacteremia.

A look back at Q2 2026's most significant infectious disease developments, including landmark FDA approvals, a historic hantavirus outbreak, and an update on a mRNA influenza vaccine.

In May 2026, the FDA approved a combination product of cefepime and zidebactam for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, providing a new treatment option for multidrug-resistant gram-negative organisms. Here is a clinical overview of the newly approved antibiotic.

The FDA has approved tebipenem pivoxil (Utebzi), the first oral carbapenem antibiotic in the US for adults with complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, providing an effective oral alternative to IV therapy for many patients with resistant infections.

Meta-analysis finds approximately 1% of well-appearing outpatient infants aged 60 to 90 days with fever have an invasive bacterial infection.

Effectiveness of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with doxycycline for chlamydia and syphilis comes with increase in resistant gonorrhea.

Fluoroquinolones are broadly active and convenient, but black box warnings and resistance concerns have reshaped when and how clinicians should use them.

A 5-day course of nitrofurantoin was found superior to single-dose fosfomycin for uncomplicated UTI in women, prompting investigators to recommend choosing efficacy over convenience.

Preclinical in vitro and animal models remain essential for establishing antibiotic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic targets, but experts say translating those findings into real-world patient care requires careful consideration of host factors, tissue penetration, and clinical context.

Leaders from SIDP and MAD-ID highlighted their new partnership and announced the launch of the Antimicrobials meeting in 2027, focused on combining cutting-edge science with clinical antimicrobial practice.

Meera Mehta, PharmD, says OPAT programs should move away from a “one-size-fits-all” monitoring model and instead tailor laboratory follow-ups based on patient risk factors, antimicrobial toxicity, and quality-of-life considerations.

SIDP President Erin McCreary, PharmD, BCIDP, FIDSA, explains how the new partnership between SIDP and MAD-ID brings together organizations with shared leadership and values to create a more accessible, collaborative meeting space for infectious diseases pharmacists and related specialties.

In the second installment of our interview with Andrew Handel, MD, he provides insights on Lyme Disease treatment in the pediatric population.

With spring here and tick bites on the rise, Andrew Handel, MD, provides tips on prevention as well as when to consider medical care for a bite.

The growing incidence of resistant Gram-negative infections in hospitals is being fueled by evolving resistance mechanisms, antibiotic overuse, and the rapid global spread of mobile genetic elements. Mariana Castanheira, PhD, FIDSA, FAAM, chief scientific officer at JMI Laboratories, discusses this topic and an agent with utility against pathogens carrying Metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs).

Mortality rates from treatment-resistant gram-negative infections remain high despite increased use of newer antibiotics and corresponding susceptibility testing.

New real-world data from the CIRCE study underscore cefiderocol’s potential in treating metallo-beta-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales infections, particularly among critically ill and immunocompromised patients with limited therapeutic options. Christine Slover, PharmD, offers some insights around the study and these infections.

A major international study reveals that World Health Organization-recommended first-line antibiotics are effective in only one in four neonatal sepsis infections in low- and middle-income countries, underscoring the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.

AMR Action Fund CEO Henry Skinner, PhD, MBE, provides insights around the legislation including its implementation challenges which may be slowing its path to passage despite bipartisan support in Congress as well as growing recognition of the global antimicrobial resistance crisis.

In the final episode of the short series, Akhila Kosaraju, MD, talks about changing the development paradigm and moving away from reengineering molecules of existing antibiotic classes and towards creating new ones.

In the second episode of this short series, Akhila Kosaraju, MD, talks about how Phare Bio and Basilea Pharmaceuticals are partnering to develop antimicrobials taking them from AI molecules to clinical trials.