Prescription medication · Fourth-Generation Cephalosporin
cefepime
Also sold as Maxipime. Cefepime treats different kinds of infections caused by bacteria.
- 13,667
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 1
- InteractionFew interactions
- In shortage
- FDA status
What the data shows
cefepime (Maxipime) is a prescription Fourth-Generation Cephalosporin, reported less often than most tracked drugs (13,667 FDA reports), with 1 documented drug interaction.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
cefepime (Maxipime) is a prescription Fourth-Generation Cephalosporin. Cefepime treats different kinds of infections caused by bacteria.
Cefepime is an antibiotic medicine. It fights bacteria in your body to treat infections.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Shortage Alert
cefepime is currently listed as to be discontinued by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC.
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$3.59/unit
Generic Available
Yes (4 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Cefepime treats different kinds of infections caused by bacteria.
Common side effects
Local reactions where the needle is inserted, Rash, Changes in some blood test results
Key warnings
Cefepime can cause allergic reactions.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from cefepime's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Cefepime belongs to a class of drugs called cephalosporins. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This helps your body fight off the infection.
How to Take It
Cefepime is given to you through a needle in your vein (IV). A doctor or nurse will give you this medicine. The dose and how often you get it depends on the type of infection you have.
This is a plain-language summary of cefepime's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Cefepime passes into breast milk in small amounts. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.
This is a plain-language summary of cefepime's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
Since a doctor or nurse gives you this medicine, you are not likely to miss a dose. If you think you missed a dose, talk to your doctor or nurse.
This is a plain-language summary of cefepime's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
The medicine should be stored at room temperature and protected from light.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 13,667 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for cefepime, by number of reports
- Acute Kidney Injury
Acute Kidney Injury
1,130 reports
- Pyrexia
Pyrexia
875 reports
- Pneumonia
Pneumonia
657 reports
- Febrile Neutropenia
Febrile Neutropenia
654 reports
- Hypotension
Hypotension
541 reports
- Sepsis
Sepsis
539 reports
- Encephalopathy
Encephalopathy
488 reports
- Thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia
469 reports
- Neutropenia
Neutropenia
466 reports
- Septic Shock 451
Septic Shock
451 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for cefepime each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where cefepime sits
cefepime has more FDA adverse-event reports than 47% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is cefepime; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 13,667 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
13,667
Reports Mentioning Death
2,974
21.8% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
8,120
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 1,130 |
| 4 | PYREXIA | 875 |
| 5 | PNEUMONIA | 657 |
| 6 | FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA | 654 |
| 7 | HYPOTENSION | 540 |
| 8 | SEPSIS | 539 |
| 9 | ENCEPHALOPATHY | 488 |
| 10 | THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 469 |
| 11 | NEUTROPENIA | 466 |
| 12 | SEPTIC SHOCK | 450 |
| 13 | RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 426 |
| 14 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 415 |
| 15 | DIARRHOEA | 412 |
| 16 | CONFUSIONAL STATE | 365 |
| 17 | NAUSEA | 349 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Cefepime can cause allergic reactions. Tell your doctor if you are allergic to penicillin or other similar antibiotics. Cefepime may also cause seizures or other nervous system problems, especially if you have kidney problems. Diarrhea can also occur, sometimes caused by a bacteria called C. difficile.
Known Drug Interactions
( 7.2 ) • Diuretics: nephrotoxicity has been reported following concomitant administration of other cephalosporins with potent diuretics such as furosemide. 7.3 Diuretics Nephrotoxicity has been reported following concomitant administration of other cephalosporins with potent diuretics such as furosemide.
Mechanism: Taking these two drugs together may increase the risk of kidney damage.
What to do: Your doctor should monitor your kidney function closely while you are on both medications.
This is a plain-language summary of interactions documented in FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before combining medications.
Common Questions
What if I'm allergic to penicillin?
Can cefepime affect my kidneys?
Can cefepime cause diarrhea?
Will cefepime interact with other medications I'm taking?
How long will I need to take cefepime?
Can I get a rash from cefepime?
Will cefepime cause pain at the injection site?
Can cefepime cause a fever?
Can cefepime cause nausea or vomiting?
What if I have questions about my treatment?
What are the common side effects of cefepime?
Does cefepime interact with other medications?
What drug class is cefepime?
Is cefepime safe during pregnancy?
Has cefepime been recalled?
Is cefepime currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
Lack of Assurance of Sterility; All lots of sterile products compounded by the pharmacy within expiry are subject to this recall. This recall is initiated due to concerns associated with quality control procedures observed during a recent FDA inspection.
Franck's Lab Inc dba Trinity Care Solutions
Related Medications in Fourth-Generation Cephalosporin
Other drugs grouped near cefepime - same-class peers and common alternatives.
amikacin
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amoxicillin
Amoxil
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amoxicillin/clavulanate
Augmentin
Augmentin is a combination of two medicines, amoxicillin and clavulanate.
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ampicillin/sulbactam
Unasyn
Unasyn is a combination of two antibiotics that fights bacteria in your body.
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azithromycin
Zithromax, Z-Pack
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria.
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What the FDA Data Shows for cefepime
The FDA label for cefepime (sold under brand names such as Maxipime) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Fourth-Generation Cephalosporin class. Cefepime treats different kinds of infections caused by bacteria. Official labeling lists 3 commonly reported side effects, including Local reactions where the needle is inserted, Rash, Changes in some blood test results.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 13,667 voluntary reports. The database also lists 1 documented drug interaction derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $3.59.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: May 10, 2023
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages