Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of ceftobiprole

A new addition to our therapeutic armamentarium against antimicrobial-resistant pathogens is ceftobiprole, a novel broad-spectrum cephalosporin currently undergoing investigation for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSIs) and nosocomial pneumonia. Several qualities make ceftobiprole uniquely suited for early empiric use. A major advance from contemporary β-lactams, ceftobiprole has a high affinity for the altered penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 2′ (2a), making it active against methicillin-resistant staphylococci. It also binds avidly to the relevant PBPs of most Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, and is resistant to hydrolysis by many β-lactamases, making it uniquely suited for infections caused by Gram-positive and mixed Gram-negative organisms. This review summarizes the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of ceftobiprole and addresses in detail the population pharmacokinetic and Monte Carlo simulation analyses used to determine the candidate doses for the cSSSI and nosocomial pneumonia phase 3 clinical trials. This review will also address the ability of the selected dosing regimens in providing adequate free drug concentrations in excess of the MICs against a contemporary group of bacterial isolates from a global resistance surveillance study.