Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Vabomere
Serious Warnings and Precautions
- Serious and sometimes fatal allergic reactions have occurred in patients taking beta-lactam antibiotics. These reactions are more likely to occur in patients who have ever had an allergic reaction to other antibiotics including penicillin, carbapenems or other cephalosporins. See What are possible side effects from using VABOMERE?
- Seizures and other neurologic reactions have been reported in patients taking medicine like VABOMERE. These reactions are more likely to occur in patients with kidney problems or brain lesions.
- VABOMERE can decrease the effectiveness of valproic acid or divalproex sodium. This can increase the risk of seizures.
What VABOMERE is used for:
VABOMERE is used for treating certain serious bacterial infections in adults such as:
- bladder or kidney infections (complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI))
- stomach and gut infections (complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI))
- lung infections (hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP), including ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP))
- blood infections that may be associated with the infections listed above.
- infections that may be difficult to treat with other antibiotics.
Antibacterial drugs like VABOMERE treat only bacterial infections. They do not treat viral infections such as the common cold.
How VABOMERE work:
VABOMERE is a combination of two active ingredients: Meropenem and Vaborbactam.
Meropenem is an antibiotic that kills many different types of bacteria.
Vaborbactam helps prevent some bacteria from resisting meropenem. Vaborbactam does not kill bacteria by itself.
The ingredients ingredients in VABOMERE are:
Medicinal ingredients: 1g Meropenem (as meropenem trihydrate) and 1g Vaborbactam per vial.
Non-medicinal ingredients: Sodium carbonate.
VABOMERE comes in the following dosage forms:
VABOMERE comes in sterile powder blend in single use glass vials. Each 50 mL vial delivers 1000 mg each of meropenem and vaborbactam to be reconstituted for injection.
Do not use VABOMERE if:
- you are allergic to meropenem, vaborbactam or the other ingredients of this medicine.
- you are allergic to other carbapenem antibiotics (the group to which meropenem belongs).
- you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to related antibiotics belonging to the beta-lactam group (including penicillins, cephalosporins or monobactams).
To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take VABOMERE. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:
- have any allergies
- have kidney problems
- have liver problems
- have ever developed severe diarrhoea during or after antibiotic treatment
- have heart problems
- need to monitor your salt intake
- have ever suffered from seizures
are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed
Other warnings that you should know about:
Driving and operating machinery:
VABOMERE may cause headaches, tingling, numbness and convulsions (uncontrollable shaking of the body). Wait to see how your body reacts to VABOMERE and exercise caution when driving and operating heavy machinery.
Medical tests:
Your healthcare professional may request additional tests to monitor your liver health while you are taking VABOMERE.
Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.
The following may interact with VABOMERE:
- Hormonal Contraceptives (estrogen and progestin) – a medicine used for birth control. VABOMERE may make these forms of birth control less effective. Women of childbearing potential should use alternative effective contraceptive methods during treatment with VABOMERE and for a period of 28 days after discontinuation of treatment.
- Probenecid – a medicine used to treat gout.
- Valproic Acid – a medicine used to prevent seizures and treat bipolar disorder
How to take VABOMERE:
- VABOMERE will be given to you by a healthcare professional by intravenous infusion (a drip). Your healthcare professional will decide how many days of treatment are needed, based on your infection.
- Although you may feel better early in treatment your healthcare professional will continue to treat you with VABOMERE until the infection clears up.
- Misuse or overuse of VABOMERE could lead to the growth of bacteria that will not be killed by VABOMERE (resistance). This means that VABOMERE may not work for you in the future.
Usual dose:
Adults:
The recommended dose is 2 vials (a total of 2 g meropenem and 2 g vaborbactam), given every 8 hours for up to 14 days.
Patients with kidney problems: If you have kidney problems, your healthcare professional may lower your dose. Your healthcare professional may also want to do some blood tests to see how well your kidneys are working.
Overdose:
VABOMERE will be given to you by a healthcare professional, so it is unlikely you will be given the wrong dose. If you think you have been given too much VABOMERE, tell your healthcare professional straight away.
If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much VABOMERE, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, regional poison control centre or Health Canada’s toll-free number, 1-844 POISON-X (1-844-764-7669) immediately, even if there are no signs or symptoms.
Missed Dose:
If you think you have missed a dose, tell your healthcare professional straight away.
Possible side effects from using VABOMERE:
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking VABOMERE. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your healthcare professional.
Common side effects include:
- headache
- Swelling, redness and /or pain around the needle where the is given into a vein urinary tract infection
- electrolyte imbalance (hypokalemia)
- anemia
- increased blood pressure
- constipation
- abdominal pain
- nausea
- vomiting
- low blood sugar
- yeast infection
- vaginal infection
Less common side effects include:
- chest discomfort
- decrease in appetite
- dizziness
- tingling in your hands and feet
- lack of energy
- hallucinations
- difficulty sleeping
Serious side effects and what to do about them
| Frequency/Side Effect/Symptom | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking this drug and get immediate medical help | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency/Side Effect/Symptom | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking this drug and get immediate medical help | |
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| Rare | |||
| Seizures (fits) | ✓ | ||
| Gastrointestinal Bleeding: black or red coloured stool, tiredness, weakness, fatigue | ✓ | ||
| Clostridium difficile colitis (bowel inflammation): severe or persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, fever. This may happen during or after treatment with VABOMERE is stopped. | ✓ | ||
| Severe skin reactions: fever, severe rash, swollen lymph glands, flu-like feeling, blisters and peeling skin that may start in and around the mouth, nose, eyes and genitals and spread to other areas of the body, yellow skin or eyes, shortness of breath, dry cough, chest pain or discomfort, feeling thirsty, urinating less often, less urine | ✓ | ||
| Unknown | |||
| Allergic Reaction: difficulty swallowing or breathing, wheezing, feeling sick to your stomach and throwing up, hives or rash, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat. | ✓ | ||
| Musculoskeletal Disorders (rhabdomyolysis): muscle pain, tenderness or weakness, dark urine, or elevated creatine phosphokinase | ✓ | ||
Hepatobiliary disorders (Drug-induced liver injury (DILI), including cholestasis, hepatitis and liver failure): fatigue, nausea, vomiting, right upper quadrant pain or tenderness, fever, rash | ✓ | ||
If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.
Reporting Side Effects
You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:
- Visiting the Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting (canada.ca/drug-device-reporting) for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax; or
- Calling toll-free at 1-866-234-2345.
NOTE: Contact your health professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice.
Storage:
Store VABOMERE vials at room temperature (15 °C to 30 °C). Keep out of reach and sight of children.
After reconstitution
The reconstituted vial should be further diluted immediately.
After dilution
VABOMERE may be stored for up to 4 hours at 25 °C or within 22 hours at 2 – 8 °C.
Keep out of reach and sight of children.
If you want more information about VABOMERE:
- Talk to your healthcare professional
- Find the full product monograph that is prepared for healthcare professionals and includes this Patient Medication Information by visiting the Health Canada website: (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database.html; the manufacturer’s website www.xediton.com, or by calling 1-888-XEDITON (933-4866).
Date of Authorization: 2026-06-12