The organization
USCAST is part of a global network dedicated to fighting the rise of antibiotic resistance through scientific, educational, and policy-creating activities.
Under the leadership of EUCAST, we are one of the many national committees (NACs) 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.
Under the leadership of EUCAST, we are one of the many national committees (NACs) 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.
The executive team
Paul G. Ambrose
Pharm.D, FIDSA Chairman |
Ronald N. Jones
MD, FIDSA Scientific Secretary |
John S. Bradley
MD Executive Committee |
David Andes
MD Executive Committee |
Our advisors & liasons
Robert E. Badal, MS; IHMA
Sujata Bhavanani, PharmD; Institute for Clinical Pharmacodynamics
Natalie K. Boyd, PharmD; University of Texas
Michael N. Dudley, Pharm.D; Medicines Company
George L. Drusano, MD; University of Florida
Robert K. Flamm, PhD; JMI Laboratories
Emil Lehso, DO; United States Army
Michael A. Pfaller, MD; University of Iowa College of Medicine
Gary Procop, MD (CAP-MRC liaison); Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Robert Rennie, PhD; (Canada NAC liaison) University of Alberta
Keith Rodvold, PharmD; University of Illinois at Chicago
Judith N. Steenbergen, PhD; Cubist Pharmaceuticals
John D. Turnidge, MD (Australia NAC liaison); Women's and Children's Hospital
Sujata Bhavanani, PharmD; Institute for Clinical Pharmacodynamics
Natalie K. Boyd, PharmD; University of Texas
Michael N. Dudley, Pharm.D; Medicines Company
George L. Drusano, MD; University of Florida
Robert K. Flamm, PhD; JMI Laboratories
Emil Lehso, DO; United States Army
Michael A. Pfaller, MD; University of Iowa College of Medicine
Gary Procop, MD (CAP-MRC liaison); Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Robert Rennie, PhD; (Canada NAC liaison) University of Alberta
Keith Rodvold, PharmD; University of Illinois at Chicago
Judith N. Steenbergen, PhD; Cubist Pharmaceuticals
John D. Turnidge, MD (Australia NAC liaison); Women's and Children's Hospital
Our primary objectives
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Seek continued support and/or participations from established investigators in the disciplines important to antibiotic breakpoint determinations.