A University of Houston College of Pharmacy-led study examining a potential strategy to reduce vancomycin-associated kidney injury has been selected for Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy Paper of the Year Award by the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.
The paper, “Reduction of Vancomycin-Associated Acute Kidney Injury With Montelukast,” was led by Nicholas S. Teran, Pharm.D., BCIDP, clinical pharmacist – infectious diseases/antimicrobial stewardship at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and a recent alumnus of the UHCOP-Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Fellowship Program.
Published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases in January 2025, the study examined whether montelukast — a medication commonly used for asthma and allergies — was associated with a lower prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) among adult patients receiving intravenous vancomycin. Vancomycin is one of the most widely used antimicrobials for serious infections, but its use has long been associated with kidney toxicity.
The retrospective cohort study evaluated adult patients who received intravenous vancomycin between January 2020 and January 2024. Researchers compared 110 patients who received montelukast with 330 control patients. AKI was observed in 2.7% of patients in the montelukast group compared with 10.6% in the control group. The study also included preclinical modeling to explore possible protective mechanisms, with findings suggesting montelukast may reduce injury to proximal tubule cells through activation of an antioxidant pathway.
The study reflects collaboration across all three UHCOP academic departments: Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research, Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy. Contributing UHCOP authors included Cole S. Hudson, Ph.D. (’25), now a postdoctoral associate at Baylor College of Medicine; Yunting Wang, Ph.D., research assistant professor; Yang Zhang, Ph.D., professor; Hua Chen, Ph.D., professor; and Vincent H. Tam, Pharm.D., FIDSA, FIDP, FAAM, BCIDP.
“Vancomycin-associated kidney injury remains a critical challenge in patient care, and our findings offer a potential strategy to protect patients from a serious complication,” Tam said. “This achievement perfectly illustrates how our college blends cutting-edge research with clinician education. By involving our trainees directly in impactful translational projects, we are actively shaping the next generation of infectious diseases leaders.”
Additional collaborators included Kady Phe, Pharm.D. (’12), BCIDP, Baylor St. Luke’s fellowship director, and Masayuki Nigo, M.D., MSc., associate professor at Houston Methodist Hospital.