New Antibacterial Drug Avycaz Available to Order

Hospitals can now order Actavis’s ceftazidime-avibactam (Avycaz) to treat serious infections in adult patients with limited or no alternative treatment options.

“In light of the urgent medical need in the US for new antimicrobial treatments that address some of the most difficult to treat pathogens, Actavis increased the company's manufacturing focus to ensure Avycaz would be available as soon as possible following FDA approval,” said William Meury, President, Actavis Branded Pharma. “We are proud to provide health care providers with this new therapeutic option that addresses serious Gram-negative infections for which there are few treatment options today.”

Avycaz is an antibacterial drug indicated for patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections, in combination with metronidazole, and complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including pyelonephritis caused by certain Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and other designated susceptible microorganisms.

The drug combines ceftazidime, a cephalosporin with in vitro activity against certain Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, and avibactam, a non-beta-lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor that protects ceftazidime from degradation by Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases, Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, and AmpC-producing pathogens.

The addition of avibactam to previously approved ceftazidime was based on data from in vitro studies and animal models of infection.

Because current clinical safety and efficacy data for Avycaz are limited, it should be reserved for patients who have limited or no alternative treatment options, Actavis said.

The recommended dosage for patients aged 18 years and older with normal renal function is 2.5 g (2 g ceftazidime and 0.5 g avibactam) administered every 8 hours by intravenous infusion over 2 hours. When Avycaz is used for cIAI, metronidazole should be given concurrently.

Avycaz is available for hospitals to purchase in cartons of 10 vials.