Data from a phase 3 clinical trial published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that an oral carbapenem antibiotic may be an option for treating complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.

The results of the trial, which were initially announced in September 2020, showed that, in more than 1,300 patients hospitalized with cUTIs or acute pyelonephritis (a type of kidney infection), 7 to 10 days of oral tebipenem pivoxil hydrobromide (HBr) was non-inferior to 7 to 10 days of intravenous (IV) ertapenem, with a similar safety profile.

The investigators say that, with currently available oral antibiotics for cUTIs limited by escalating antibiotic resistance, safety issues, and poor tissue penetration, tebipenem HBr could fill the need for effective oral treatment options.

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