Cefiderocol treatment for patients infected by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Burkholderia cepacia complex and Achromobacter spp. : subgroup analysis from the PERSEUS study

This subgroup analysis of the PERSEUS study aimed to describe the effectiveness of cefiderocol treatment in the early access programme in Spain in patients infected by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) or Achromobacter species. In the retrospective, observational, multicentre PERSEUS study in Spain, the effectiveness and safety of cefiderocol treatment administered for at least 72 h up to 28 days in patients infected by Gram-negative bacteria, except Acinetobacter spp., in the early access programme was investigated. Patient demographics and baseline clinical characteristics, cefiderocol use, clinical cure at end of treatment, all-cause mortality at Day 28 were the main outcomes. A total of 20 patients had S. maltophilia infections, and 14 patients had other rare glucose non-fermenters (Bcc 8, Achromobacter spp. 5, Ralstonia mannitolilytica 1). The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 60.5 (48.0-65.5) years and 49.5 (33.0-59.0) years for patients with S. maltophilia and other rare non-fermenters, respectively. The majority of patients had respiratory tract infections (S. maltophilia 55%; other rare non-fermenters 71.4%), and median (IQR) duration of cefiderocol treatment was 10.0 (6.5-13.5) days and 8.0 (6-14) days, respectively. Clinical cure rates were 70%, 62.5% and 80.0% for patients with S. maltophilia, Bcc and Achromobacter spp., respectively. Corresponding 28-day all-cause mortality rates were 30.0%, 37.5% and 40.0%, respectively. One patient with R. mannitolilytica had clinical cure and survived to Day 28. Cefiderocol is an important addition to the limited treatment options for patients infected by these rare glucose non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria.