The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) has launched an observational study in India that will shed light on the management of antibiotic-resistant infections in hospitals.  

The study will collect and analyse data in 180 patients being treated for infections caused by carbapenem-resistant organisms across six hospitals in India. It is being conducted in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 

The study is being carried out at Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, Christian Medical College in Vellore, Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata, P.D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre in Mumbai, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi.  

The SBI-CREP-01 study will look at the epidemiology as well as the treatments administered to both adults and children with severe bacterial infections caused by carbapenem resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and/or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA).

Infections caused by these bacteria are difficult to treat because they do not respond to commonly used last-line antibiotics. Data will also be collected on the clinical outcomes for patients with confirmed CRE/CRPA infections in the six hospital sites. 

These infections have been recognised as critical in the Indian Priority Pathogen List, which guides research, discovery and development of new antibiotics in India. 

“Treating Pseudomonas infections has become significantly more difficult because of antibiotic resistance. Without enough antibiotics in the pipeline to address this challenge and as access to newer drugs is not available in India, the situation appears grim. More research as well as active involvement of regulators and policymakers is vital. The study will provide crucial information that could ultimately be used to improve treatments and help reduce deaths and illness associated with bacterial infections,” said Dr Soumyadip Chatterji, principal investigator for the SBI-CREP-01 study at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata, India.  

The results of the study will serve to better prepare the hospitals involved to carry out future interventional trials of novel therapeutics which are able to combat carbapenem-resistant infections.