News & Updates

Novel antibiotics in the management of multidrug-resistant organisms: Real-world evidence

Antimicrobial resistance is a global crisis. In 2019, antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens directly caused 1.27 million deaths worldwide. [Lancet 2022;399:629-655] In particular, carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii cause infections that are particularly difficult to treat. This was the main focus of the Pfizer-organized Meet-the-expert session with Professor Yehuda Carmeli, Professor of Medicine at Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv University, and Founder and Head of Israeli National Institute for Antibiotic Resistance and Infection Control, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel. Dr Lee Tau Hong, infectious disease physician at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore, chaired the session.

Benefits of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for Omicron outweigh risks regardless of age, sex, or comorbidities

The benefits of mRNA vaccines are much larger than the risks, for both the primary series and the booster doses, across all ages, sexes, and the presence or absence of comorbidities, even considering the reduced disease severity of the Omicron variant.

COVID-19 a leading cause of death among children and young people

COVID-19 caused substantially more deaths annually in children and young people than any vaccine-preventable disease historically in the recent period before vaccines became available.

Managing MDR gram-negative bacterial infections: Key lessons from 5 years of using ceftazidime-avibactam

The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens is a major and persistent global healthcare problem. In a Pfizer-sponsored symposium held during the 33rd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), experts shared lessons drawn from over half a decade of using ceftazidime-avibactam in the management of MDR gram-negative bacterial infections. Prof David Paterson from the National University of Singapore and Dr Maddalena Giannella from Bologna University, Italy chaired the session. 

Among the highlights were real-world evidence (RWE) with ceftazidime-avibactam and how it has shaped the anti-infective therapeutic landscape, the importance of early, appropriate treatment and its place in antimicrobial stewardship strategies, and the roles of microbiology and diagnostics in optimizing treatment strategies.

COVID-19 vaccine-induced immunity PROTECTS BETTER than natural immunity from previous infection

Vaccination against COVID-19 provides superior protection against all-cause health events as shown in a recent study in the US. Vaccinated individuals had significantly lower all-cause mortality, hospitalization, and emergency department visits than those who were previously infected but were unvaccinated.

This suggests that strong natural immunity acquired from a previous COVID-19 infection does not appear to fully compensate for the detrimental effects of an initial infection.

Efficacy of Bivalent Boosters Against Severe Omicron

Bivalent boosters provide substantial additional protection against severe COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant. On August 31, 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for use as a single booster dose.

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Challenges in the diagnosis and management of multidrug-resistant gram-negative infections: Real-world evidence and experience

The diagnosis and treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria in critically ill patients present many clinical challenges. Selection of appropriate antibiotic therapy in a timely manner requires patients’ comprehensive medical history, updated local knowledge of microbiological epidemiology, efficient use of diagnostic tools, and balancing of information from clinical trial data, real-world evidence (RWE), and guidelines.

In a symposium Pfizer organized in conjunction with the Asia Pacific Intensive Care Symposium (APICS), Professor David Paterson from the National University of Singapore discussed the importance of RWE in the antibiotic armamentarium, using ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI, Zavicefta^®) as an example. Dr Asok Kurup, Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Singapore, explained how rapid diagnostics can guide treatment choices to improve patient outcomes in MDR gram-negative infections.

Timely treatment of patients at risk for severe COVID-19 prevents severe outcomes

Despite widespread uptake of vaccinations, COVID-19 remains a serious health issue for high-risk patients, owing to the emergence of new variants of concern (VOCs), waning immunity, and breakthrough infections.

At a recent symposium in Singapore, esteemed experts Dr Asok Kurup, Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Singapore, and Dr Alex Soriano, Head of Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona and Assistant Professor, University of Barcelona, Spain, gave insights on the evolution of global trends since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and discussed key challenges in managing high-risk patients with COVID-19 in the ICU. They also highlighted early treatment strategies to minimize the burden of COVID-19 on healthcare systems.

AZD7442 (tixagevimab–cilgavimab) prevents COVID-19 in high-risk populations

Though most COVID-19 safe management measures have been lifted in Singapore, the pandemic continues to adversely impact the lives of immunocompromised patients at high risk of severe infection. 

“It has been an absolute misery for these patients and their families,” said Dr Leong Hoe Nam, Infectious Disease Specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, Singapore. “The virus is an unseen enemy that may strike unexpectedly. The strike may kill, or if not, maim the individual. Patients isolate themselves for fear of getting infected while their family members fear bringing the illness back home.” 

Immunocompromised patients are those with suppressed immunity resulting from health conditions, including solid organ and haematological cancers, end-stage kidney and liver disease, organ or bone marrow transplants, and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, or those on active treatment with immunosuppressive medications. [Expert Rev Vaccines 2022;1-17; BMJ 2021;374:n2098]