Cefiderocol in Health Care–Associated Gram-Negative Bacteremia

Two previous trials showed that cefiderocol, a fifth-generation cephalosporin, is noninferior to standard-of-care antibiotics in the treatment of gram-negative infections, but most of the infections in those trials were due to carbapenem-susceptible organisms. Whether the drug is effective for patients infected with carbapenem-resistant organisms is unknown.

In this trial, investigators randomized nearly 500 patients with health care–associated gram-negative bloodstream infections to receive either cefiderocol or standard-of-care antibiotics. A quarter of the patients had evidence of carbapenem-resistant organisms.