The in vitro effect of new combinations of carbapenem–β-lactamase inhibitors for Mycobacterium abscessus

Abstract

As new treatment alternatives for Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABC) are urgently needed, we determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for novel carbapenem combinations, including imipenem-relebactam and tebipenem-avibactam against 98 MABC isolates by broth microdilution. The MIC50 was reduced from 16 to 8 mg/L by adding relebactam to imipenem, while the addition of avibactam to tebipenem showed a more pronounced reduction from 256 to 16 mg/L, representing a promising non-toxic, oral treatment option for further exploration.