About USCAST
​
​USCAST is part of a global network dedicated to fighting the rise of antibiotic resistance through scientific, educational, and policy-creating activities. 

We are one of the many EUCAST-affiliated national committees that recognize the increasing need to create a path to evaluate both new and old antibiotics in the current context of antibiotic resistance, extent of tissue penetration at the site of infection, and bacterial killing rate at that body site.

Our mission is to work with our global partners, establishing crucial standards for testing and interpreting the bacteria-killing power of antibiotics. The results we will interpret and share, allow healthcare providers to use the safest and most effective tools to save lives.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Jason M. Pogue, PharmD
Chairman
​University of Michigan College of Pharmacy

​Sujata M. Bhavnani, PharmD, MS​
​Vice Chair
Institute for Clinical Pharmacodynamics

Paul G. Ambrose, PharmD
Treasurer
Institute for Clinical Pharmacodynamics

​Helio S. Sader, MD, PhD
JMI Laboratories

David R. Andes, MD​
University of Wisconsin

Thomas P. Lodise, PharmD, PhD
Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

​Ronald N. Jones, MD
​Emeritus member
JMI Laboratories

MEMBERS

John S. Bradley, MD
​University of California San Diego Rady Children’s Hospital​

Emil P. Lesho, DO
Infectious Diseases Unit
Rochester Regional Health

Robert R. Rennie, PhD
University of Alberta Hospital​​

Stefan Riedel, MD, PhD
Harvard Medical School

Alexander J. Lepak, MD
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Michael A. Pfaller, MD
University of Iowa

Keith A. Rodvold, PharmD
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy​

Michael J. Rybak, PharmD, PhD
Wayne State University

Erin K. McCreary, PharmD
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Marc Scheetz, PharmD, MSc
​Midwestern University

ADVISORS

Olga Lomovskaya, PhD 
Qpex Biopharma

Judith N. Steenbergen, PhD 
Scientific and Medical Affairs Consulting, LLC

Ryan Shields, PharmD, MS
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Our Primary Objectives

ONE Provide a venue (electronic and "face-to-face" meetings) for USA individual practitioners / scientists, governmental agencies, and medical societies to interact with the EUCAST/EMA regulatory process of antibiotic testing and development of interpretive criteria per EUCAST NAC SOP 5.0.

TWO Review and endorse the "best use choice" of established reference and standardized antibiotic susceptibility testing methods currently found in public domain documents for dilution and agar disk diffusion procedures. Using USA-FDA Microbiology Sections of product package inserts, CLSI tables and EUCAST published guidelines, USCAST will review all clinical breakpoints and provide best, consensus published breakpoints recommendations to the agency and for use in USA medical practice. 
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​THREE Review new agent development data regarding those items impacting the selection of antibiotic susceptibility testing breakpoint criteria for clinical practice. New antibiotic agents will be promptly reviewed. 

FOUR Provide an efficient process respecting potentially sensitive, confidential information, but remaining open via full disclosures of conflicts of interest and by seeking public comment via electronic mechanisms on proposed published documents (breakpoints or test-result-based guidelines). 

FIVE Provide readily accessible clinical breakpoints and other guidelines for antibiotic chemotherapy related to tested available agents, on an electronic format (online/website) to minimize cost and maximize widespread clinical/laboratory utility. Rapid application of breakpoints would be facilitated by collaborations with commercial susceptibility testing device manufacturers and regulatory agencies. 

​SIX Seek continued support and/or participations from established investigators in the disciplines important to antibiotic breakpoint determinations.