Pharmacodynamic studies of taniborbactam (VNRX-5133) combined with cefepime against β-lactamase–producing Gram-negative bacteria in a neutropenic murine thigh infection model

Abstract Background Taniborbactam (VNRX-5133) is a novel boronate-based β-lactamase inhibitor that directly inhibits all four classes of β-lactamases. We studied the pharmacodynamics of taniborbactam in combination with cefepime against β-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods In vitro, cefepime/taniborbactam combination was assessed with a checkerboard broth microdilution method against two ESBL-producing Enterobacterales and one AmpC- and one VIM-producing P. aeruginosa isolates (cefepime MIC 16–256 mg/L). In vivo, neutropenic infected mice were treated with cefepime, every 2 h for 24 h, alone or in combination with taniborbactam at q2h, q4h and q8h dosing intervals. Single dose escalation and dose-fractionation experiments were conducted in order to describe plasma pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of taniborbactam, respectively. Results In vitro, reversal of phenotypic resistance to cefepime was found at taniborbactam ≤0.03 and 0.25 mg/L for ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae, and at 0.125 and 2 mg/L for VIM- and AmpC constitutively-producing P. aeruginosa, respectively. In vivo, cefepime alone marginally reached stasis against Enterobacterales and AmpC-producing P. aeruginosa. Taniborbactam restored cefepime’s static effect against all isolates and its 1 log10 kill effect against all strains except the K. pneumoniae isolate. The percentage of time above free concentration threshold (%fT Ct) best described taniborbactam efficacy (R2 = 0.50–0.80). At high cefepime exposures, area under the free concentration–time curve (fAUC) performed equally well (R2 0.49–0.70). A 40%–50% and 60%–100% fT Ct of taniborbactam was associated with stasis and 1 log10 kill, respectively, at taniborbactam concentrations where reversal of cefepime resistance was found in vitro. Conclusions Taniborbactam restored cefepime’s activity against resistant Gram-negative bacteria in a time- and concentration-dependent manner at low and higher cefepime exposures, respectively.