This episode of Communicable takes on a special format where editors of CMI Comms, Marc Bonten, Josh Davis, Erin McCreary, Emily McDonald, all clinical trialists in their own right, take turns to summarise and discuss late-breaker trials presented at ESCMID Global 2025 in Vienna. These include the CloCeBa trial on Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia treatment options, the Taper V trial on vancomycin as prophylaxis for Clostridioides difficile infection, the ASTARTÉ trial on temocillin versus meropenem for bacteraemia due to third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales, the HARVEST trial investigating high doses of rifampicin for tuberculosis meningitis, and the CAP5 trial on shortening antibiotic treatment for community-acquired pneumonia. 
 
This episode was peer reviewed by Dr. Barbora Píšová (Czech Republic) and is the first of a two-part series covering selected clinical trials presented at ESCMID Global 2025. 

References: 

• Lescure X, et al. Cloxacillin versus cefazolin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (CloCeBa): a randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial
• McDonald EG, et al. Initial vancomycin taper for the prevention of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection: the TAPER-V randomised controlled trial
• Cogliati Dezza F, et al. Temocillin versus meropenem for the targeted treatment of bacteraemia due to third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (ASTARTÉ): a randomised, pragmatic trial
• Van Crevel R, et al. High-dose rifampicin in the treatment of tuberculous meningitis: results of the HARVEST phase III multi-country randomised clinical trial
• Bastrup Israelsen S, et al. Shortened antibiotic treatment for 5 days in patients hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP5): a multicentre randomised controlled noninferiority trial