Vabomere

Vabomere is a prescription medication used to treat adults with complicated urinary tract infections including kidney infections caused by certain bacteria.

It is a single product containing 2 medications: meropenem and vaborbactam.

Meropenem belongs to a group of drugs called penem antibacterials. These work by attacking bacteria in the body. Vaborbactam belongs to a group of drugs called beta-lactamase inhibitors. It works by preventing meropenem from being killed by the bacteria.

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) and is given up to 3 times a day (every 8 hours).

Common side effects of Vabomere include headache, reaction at site of infusion, and diarrhea. 

Vabomere can also affect your neurological (brain) function, which can cause dizziness, fainting, or seizures. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Vabomere affects you.

Vabomere is a prescription medication used to treat a complicated bacterial infection of the urinary tract and kidney in patients who are 18 years and older. 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Vabomere. See the “Vabomere Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Vabomere include the following:

• headache
• redness, pain, or swelling at the site of infusion
• diarrhea
• allergic reaction
• nausea
• liver damage
• fever
• low potassium level

This is not a complete list of Vabomere side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or that do not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• valproic acid or divalproex. Levels of valproic acid and divalproex need to be monitored if taking Vabomere.
• probenacid. It is not recommended to take Vabomere and probenacid together.

This is not a complete list of Vabomere drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Vabomere including:

• hypersensitivity (severe allergic reaction). Tell your healthcare provider if you have an allergy to any other antibiotic, especially penicillin antibiotics (Pen VK, Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Zosyn, Unasyn, Timentin, Nallpen, Bicillin LA), before starting this medication. Tell your healthcare provider about any signs or symptoms of hypersensitivity including chest pain, swelling of the face or mouth, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or rash.
• seizures. Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had a seizure before starting this medication.  Report any signs or symptoms of seizure activity including shaking, twitching, falling, fainting, seeing bright lights or spots, or hearing sounds that are not there.
• superinfection. Prolonged use can lead to the growth of dangerous organisms that are resistant or unresponsive to this medication. Take meropenem for the duration prescribed by your doctor.
• thrombocytopenia. This is a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of blood cell fragments called platelets.  It is more likely to occur if you have kidney problems while taking meropenem.  Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any abnormal bleeding or bruising or if you have any blood in the stool.
• diarrhea. Diarrhea is a common problem caused by antibiotics, and it usually ends when the antibacterial is stopped. Even after starting treatment with antibiotics, some patients can develop watery and bloody stools (with or without stomach cramps and fever) as late as 2 or more months after having taken their last dose of the antibacterial. If diarrhea is severe or lasts more than 2 or 3 days, contact your doctor, as this may be a sign of an infection of the bowels.
• Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) associated diarrhea. Some antibiotics can kill the “good” bacteria in the colon leading to a growth of C. difficile bacteria. This “bad” bacterium can cause diarrhea and other digestive problems, and these problems may even occur 2 months after the last dose. Tell your healthcare provider if you have water diarrhea (at least three bowel movements per day for two or more days), loss of appetite, nausea, or abdominal pain or tenderness.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Vabomere, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Vabomere, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Vabomere or to any of its ingredients
• have or had kidney problems
• take medication for seizures or bipolar disorder
• have or have had neurological (brain or nervous system) problems
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Vabomere crosses into human milk. One of the components of Vabomere, meropenem, does cross into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Vabomere.

Take Vabomere exactly as prescribed. 

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare professional.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Vabomere at the same time.

Take meropenem exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

The meropenem dose your doctor recommends will be based on the following: 

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your kidney function
• your neurological (brain and nervous system) function

The recommended dose of Vabomere for the treatment of urinary tract infection is 4 grams (2 grams of meropenem and 2 grams of vaborbactam) given 3 times a day (every 8 hours). Patients with kidney problems may require lower doses less often (twice daily). All doses will be given over 3 hours. Vabormere may be given for up to 14 days.

If Vabomere is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to Vabomere.
• Make sure to take all doses of Vabomere as directed by your doctor. Do not skip doses or stop taking the medication even if you feel better.