Antibacterial agent - gemifloxacin
The mutation of bacteria into forms that are resistant to existing antibiotic agents is an ever-growing public health problem. Some bacterial infections are now extremely difficult to treat, and there is a constant need for novel antibacterial agents to counter the growing threat of resistant organisms.
The mutation of bacteria into forms that are resistant to existing antibiotic agents is an ever-growing public health problem. Some bacterial infections are now extremely difficult to treat, and there is a constant need for novel antibacterial agents to counter the growing threat of resistant organisms.
A new fluoroquinolone antibiotic that is active against both Gram positive and Gram negative agents, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is gemifloxacin, previously referred to as LB20304.1 Developed by Korean LG Chem Investments, and until recently the subject of a joint development agreement with GlaxoSmithKline, the compound has shown promise in a range of clinical trials.
Numerous studies have been carried out comparing gemifloxacin with other antibiotics in patients suffering from a variety of bacterial infections. One such randomised, double blind, double dummy, multinational study compared the safety and efficacy of gemifloxacin with trovafloxacin in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis.2 Of the 617 patients in the trial, clinical success rates at follow-up were 91.5% for gemifloxacin and 87.6% for trovafloxacin. The drug was given once daily over five days, and was at least as good as a similar regimen of trovafloxacin in treating the infection.
Another comparison with trovafloxacin, this time in the treatment of community acquired pneumonia, also proved a success.3 A total of 570 patients with the infection were given either 320mg gemifloxacin or 200mg trovafloxacin once a day, for 7 or 14 days. Gemifloxacin eradicated 100% of Streptococcus pneumoniae in infected patients, and clinical success rate at follow-up was significantly superior for the new drug.
It has also been compared with clarithromycin in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis.4 Patients were given either a course of 320mg gemifloxacin twice a day for five days, or 500mg clarithromycin twice a day for seven days. The bacteriological success rate for gemifloxacin was 86.7%, compared with 73.1% for clarithromycin, and significantly more patients who received gemifloxacin remained free of recurrences for 26 weeks.
The drug has been submitted for approval by the regulatory authorities, and looks set to become a further weapon against bacterial infections.