Rifabutin for infusion (BV100) for the treatment of severe carbapenem-resistant Acineto bacter baumannii infections

Rifamycin antibiotics were discovered during the 1950s, and their main representative, rifampicin, remains a cornerstone treatment for TB. The clinical use of rifamycin is restricted to mycobacteria and Gram-positive infections because of its poor ability to penetrate the Gram-negative outer membrane. Rifabutin, a rifamycin antibiotic approved for the prevention of Mycobacterium avium complex disease, makes an exception to this rule by hijacking the iron uptake system of Acinetobacter baumannii, resulting in potent activity against this important Gram-negative pathogen. Here, we describe recent findings on the specific activity of rifabutin and provide evidence of the need for the development of an intravenous formulation of rifabutin (BV100) for the treatment of difficult-to-treat carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii infections.

Automated summary

Rifamycin antibiotics, particularly rifampicin, are crucial in treating TB and Gram-positive infections. Rifabutin, another rifamycin antibiotic, shows potent activity against the important Gram-negative pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii by hijacking its iron uptake system. There is a need for the development of an intravenous formulation of rifabutin, BV100, for the treatment of difficult-to-treat carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii infections.