Merck Discontinues Antibiotic Combination Drug Recarbrio in US Market

Merck has announced that it will no longer manufacture or market its antibacterial combination drug Recarbrio in the US. Approved by the FDA in 2019, Recarbrio was designed to treat adults with complicated urinary tract infections and intra-abdominal infections with limited alternative treatment options.

The decision comes as part of Merck's ongoing review of its portfolio, not due to any product safety or quality issues. The company initially touted Recarbrio as a vital tool for patients with difficult-to-treat infections, particularly those caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC).

Experts agree that the clinical gap left by Recarbrio's discontinuation is immediate but narrow. Amesh Adalja, MD, an infectious disease physician and senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, notes that alternative therapeutic options remain available for approved indications.

However, Brad Spellberg, MD, chief medical officer at the Los Angeles General Medical Center, was skeptical about Recarbrio's viability even before its approval. He believes the drug was not meaningfully differentiated from other existing treatments on the market.