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Azactam (AZTREONAM)
Aztreonam inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis, acting as a bactericidal agent.
Azactam (Aztreonam) is a monobactam antibacterial drug developed by Bristol Myers Squibb, currently owned by the same company. It is a small molecule that targets aerobic gram-negative bacteria, and was FDA approved in 1986 for various infections. Azactam is off-patent and has multiple generic manufacturers. It has a short half-life of 1.5 hours and low bioavailability of 1%. Key safety considerations include its potential for allergic reactions and renal impairment.
At a glance
| Generic name | AZTREONAM |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Bristol-Myers Squibb |
| Drug class | Monobactam Antibacterial [EPC] |
| Modality | Small molecule |
| Therapeutic area | Infectious Disease |
| Phase | FDA-approved |
| First approval | 1986 |
Mechanism of action
Aztreonam works by preventing bacteria from building their cell walls, which leads to the death of the bacteria. It remains effective even in the presence of certain enzymes that can break down other antibiotics.
Approved indications
- Aerobic Gram-Negative Bacteremia
- Bacterial Exacerbation of Acute Bronchitis
- Bacterial infection due to Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Bacterial infection due to Serratia
- Bacterial peritonitis
- Bacterial urinary infection
- Citrobacter Peritonitis
- Citrobacter Urinary Tract Infection
- E. Coli Bronchitis
- E. Coli Endometritis
- E. Coli Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- E. Coli Peritonitis
- Endometritis
- Enterobacter Cloacae Bronchitis
- Enterobacter Endometritis
- Enterobacter Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Enterobacter Pneumonia
- Escherichia coli urinary tract infection
- Female genital tract infection
- Gram-Negative Aerobic Bacillary Pneumonia
Common side effects
- phlebitis/thrombophlebitis
- discomfort/swelling at the injection site
- diarrhea
- rash
- fever
- pain
- erythema
- induration
- phlebitis
- increased eosinophils
- increased platelets
- neutropenia
Key clinical trials
- Study of 2 Medicines (Aztreonam and Avibactam) Compared to Best Available Therapy for Serious Gram-negative Infections (PHASE2)
- Real-World Effectiveness of Aztreonam-Avibactam Against MBL-Producing CRE
- A Study to Learn About the Study Medicine Aztreonam-Avibactam (ATM-AVI) in Infants and Newborns Admitted in Hospitals With Bacterial Infection (CHERISH) (PHASE2)
- P3 Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Cefepime/Nacubactam and Aztreonam/Nacubactam Versus Best Available Therapy for Adults With Infection Due to Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacterales (PHASE3)
- Different Administration Regimens of CAZ-AVI in Combination With ATM for the Treatment of CR-GNB (PHASE4)
- Microbiome-guided Prophylaxis to Reduce Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Intensive Care Units: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (PHASE2)
- Choosing the Best Antibiotic to Protect Friendly Gut Bacteria During the Course of Stem Cell Transplant (PHASE2)
- Study of Aerosolized Antibiotics and Pembrolizumab in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (PHASE1)
Primary sources
Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| FDA label | Mechanism, indications, dosing, boxed warnings, drug interactions |
| ClinicalTrials.gov | Trial enrolment, design, endpoints, results |
Competitive intelligence
For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:
- Azactam CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Azactam updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- Bristol-Myers Squibb portfolio CI