Electrochemical detection of cefiderocol for therapeutic drug monitoring

Abstract

Cefiderocol is a novel siderophore-conjugated β-lactam antibiotic which has been approved for clinical use. It has demonstrated efficacy against infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant strains. Novel antibiotics are rarely brought to market and, as such, are ideal candidates for therapeutic drug monitoring which enables optimised dosing across a range of clinical scenarios whilst also reducing the chances of antimicrobial resistance. Here we demonstrate direct electrochemical detection of cefiderocol by oxidation using untreated gold and glassy carbon electrodes as well as multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-coated glassy carbon and foamed gold electrodes. Quantification of cefiderocol in the therapeutic range is demonstrated in spiked whole human blood using MWCNT-coated pyrolytic carbon screen-printed electrodes.