Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteria (CRE) are a public health problem. The morbidity and mortality of patients with invasive infections due to CRE are high. The best treatment is unknown, however, combination therapy with at least 2 active drugs is often recommended for high-risk patients, and monotherapy is probably not inferior to this in low-risk patients.
Ceftazidime-avibactam is active against many CRE, and in some countries it has been prescribed under compassionate use programs for these infections; It has recently been approved by the FDA and the EMA for specific indications. Recent data suggest that ceftazidime-avibactam may be superior for the treatment of infections caused by sensitive CRE, rather than traditional regimens that often include colistin, usually combined with other drugs. However, these studies include a low number of patients and are subject to important biases.
Additionally, the development of resistance to this drug during / after treatment has been described and is worrying.