Fosfomycin in continuous dosage
Dr Valentin Al Jalali and his team are evaluating a new approach to using a proven drug to combat emerging risks as part of a project funded by the City of Vienna. The continuous administration of fosfomycin is being considered for the first time and is being investigated in both healthy and seriously ill patients. The new dosing regimen could optimise the use of the antibiotic and at the same time be a way of preventing resistant bacteria.
The increasing development of resistance among bacterial pathogens in hospitals and also in outpatient care is increasingly leading to the failure of conventional antibiotic therapies. Unfortunately, not enough new antibiotics are being developed to counter this risk. The question therefore arises as to how the use of established antibiotics can be improved so that the development of resistant germs can be prevented as far as possible and the success of therapy can be maximised.
For this reason, a new dosage regimen of the antibiotic fosfomycin, which has been on the market for a long time, is to be investigated as part of this study. The aim is to optimise the antibacterial efficacy of fosfomycin and at the same time prevent the development of resistant bacteria.
The investigation of the new mode of administration (continuous administration) of fosfomycin is to be carried out in two separate, consecutively planned clinical trials:
first part of the study: the pharmacokinetics of continuously administered fosfomycin in the blood of healthy volunteers will be compared with those of intermittently administered fosfomycin;
second part of the study: the pharmacokinetics of continuously administered fosfomycin in the blood and lung fluid of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit will be investigated.
‘By using the new dosing regimen for the first time, we can hopefully improve the outcome of critically ill patients and prevent the emergence of resistant germs. I find this potential direct clinical benefit of the project particularly exciting.’