The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that Doribax (doripenem), an antibacterial drug that has been used to treat patients who develop pneumonia while on ventilators, carries an increased risk of death and lower clinical cure rates compared to use of imipenem and cilastatin for injection (marketed in the U.S. under the name Primaxin). Based on our analysis of data from a three-year clinical trial that was prematurely stopped in 2011 due to these safety concerns, we have approved changes to the Doribax drug label that describe these risks.
Doribax is not approved to treat any type of pneumonia, and the revised label also includes a new warning about this unapproved use. Health care professionals should consider whether the benefits of Doribax treatment are likely to exceed its potential risks in patients who develop pneumonia while on ventilators.
Doribax is still considered safe and effective for its FDA-approved indications - treatment of adults with complicated intra-abdominal infections and complicated urinary tract infections, including kidney infections called pyelonephritis.
