Katarzyna Michalska, Stefan Tyski

Ertapenem - nowy zarejestrowany karbapenem
2006-01-15

Ertapenem, recently registered new carbapenem antibiotic. Ertapenem in sodium salt form, the unique structurally 1-methyl carbapenem for parenteral application has been introduced onto market as the drug Invanz produced by Merck & Co., Inc. It was firstly registered by US FDA in November 2001, then in EU countries in April 2002. In Poland Invanz was registered in June 2003. It shares the broad spectrum of imipenem and meropenem against Enterobacteriaceae (including strains producing ESBLs and/or AmpC-type -lactamases), Gram-positive species and anaerobes. However, it has limited activity against non-fermentative bacilli, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp.. Ertapenem is indicated as a first-line drug in complicated community-acquired infections, where a mixed flora of aerobes and anaerobes is likely to appear and where Pseudomonas is not suspected, particularly in intra-abdominal infections, community acquired pneumonia and acute gynecological infections. What is also important, ertapenem pharmacokinetics enables only once-daily administration.