Two medicines, side by side
Amikacin vs meropenem/vaborbactam
Amikacin is labeled for bacterial infections; meropenem/vaborbactam for urinary tract infections. Their labels share no use, so they are not alternatives to each other. Drugs@FDA records approvals of amikacin since 2018 and of meropenem/vaborbactam since 2017. In FDA's classes, amikacin is an aminoglycoside antibacterial and meropenem/vaborbactam a penem antibacterial.
Check it at the source: the amikacin FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 10, 2025); the meropenem/vaborbactam FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 27, 2026).
Highlights of the amikacin record
Amikacin (Arikayce) · label of December 10, 2025
Patients treated with parenteral aminoglycosides should be under close clinical observation because of the potential ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity associated with their use. Safety for treatment periods which are longer than 14 days has not been established.
Used for
From the label: indicationsAmikacin Sulfate Injection is indicated in the short-term treatment of serious infections due to susceptible strains of Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas species, Escherichia coli, species of indole-positive and indole-negative Proteus, Providencia species, Klebsiella-Enterobacter-Serratia species, and Acinetobacter ( Mima-Herellea ) species. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- September 28, 2018
- Generic labelers
- 6 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $2.33 per mL
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 4
Highlights of the meropenem and vaborbactam record
Meropenem and vaborbactam (Vabomere) · label of February 27, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsVABOMERE (meropenem and vaborbactam) is a combination of meropenem, a penem antibacterial, and vaborbactam, a beta-lactamase inhibitor, indicated for the treatment of patients 18 years and older with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI) including pyelonephritis caused by designated susceptible bacteria. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 29, 2017
- Generic labelers
- none listed
- Pharmacy cost
- Not in the survey
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Amikacin label of December 10, 2025, Meropenem/vaborbactam label of February 27, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do amikacin and meropenem/vaborbactam differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, amikacin is an aminoglycoside antibacterial and meropenem/vaborbactam a penem antibacterial.
Only the amikacin label carries a boxed warning.
Generics: amikacin since 1981; meropenem/vaborbactam none approved (Drugs@FDA).
| Amikacin | Meropenem/vaborbactam | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bacterial infections | Urinary tract infections |
| Pharmacologic class | Aminoglycoside Antibacterial | Penem Antibacterial, beta Lactamase Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | n/a | VABOMERE is an antibacterial drug [see Microbiology (12.4) ]. |
| Half-life (label) | General Pharmacokinetic studies in normal adult subjects reveal the mean serum half-life to be slightly over 2 hours with a mean total apparent volume of distribution of 24 liters (28% of the body weight). | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | September 28, 2018 | August 29, 2017 |
| First generic approved | January 22, 1981 | none |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 6 labelers | none listed |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $2.33 per mL (Amikacin sulf 500 mg/2 mL vial) | n/a |
| 12-month price change | -23% | n/a |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 4 | 0 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 18,617 | 49 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to amikacin
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions