Factors influencing fluoroquinolone resistance

Delafloxacin: Place in Therapy and Review of Microbiologic, Clinical and Pharmacologic Properties

Delafloxacin (formerly WQ-3034, ABT492, RX-3341) is a novel fluoroquinolone chemically distinct from currently marketed fluoroquinolones with the absence of a protonatable substituent conferring a weakly acidic character to the molecule. This property results in increased intracellular penetration and enhanced bactericidal activity under acidic conditions that characterize the infectious milieu at a number of sites. The enhanced potency and penetration in low pH environments contrast what has been observed for other zwitterionic fluoroquinolones, which tend to lose antibacterial potency under acidic conditions, and may be particularly advantageous against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, for which the significance of the intracellular mode of survival is increasingly being recognized. Delafloxacin is also unique in its balanced target enzyme inhibition, a property that likely explains the very low frequencies of spontaneous mutations in vitro. Delafloxacin recently received US Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections and is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 trial among patients with community-acquired pneumonia. In the current era of a heightened awareness pertaining to collateral ecologic damage, safety issues and antimicrobial stewardship principles, it is critical to describe the unique properties of delafloxacin and define its potential role in therapy. The purpose of this article is to review available data pertaining to delafloxacin’s biochemistry, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics characteristics, in vitro activity and potential for resistance selection as well as current progress in clinical trials to ultimately assist clinicians in selecting patients who will benefit most from the distinctive properties of this agent.

In vitro and in vivo potency of moxifloxacin and moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution 0.5%, a new topical fluoroquinolone

Fluoroquinolones are a class of synthetic antibacterial agents that were approved for ocular therapy in 1991 and have become popular therapy for the treatment and prevention of various ocular infections. These agents are synthetic, broad-spectrum, rapidly bactericidal, and have good penetration into ocular tissues. Their main mechanism of action is the inhibition of bacterial enzymes needed for bacterial DNA synthesis. However, antibiotic resistance occurred swiftly to the earlier fluoroquinolones and better fluoroquinolones were needed. The fourth-generation fluoroquinolones, such as moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin, have enhanced activity against gram-positive bacteria while retaining potent activity against most gram-negative bacteria. These fourth-generation fluoroquinolones have improved penetration into the anterior chamber and have also demonstrated increased in vivo efficacy in several animal models of ocular infections. In addition, topical ophthalmic antibiotic products can deliver antibiotic concentrations directly to the eye that are thousands of times higher than their MICs. This article reviews published data describing the in vitro potency of moxifloxacin and its in vivo activity for treating and preventing experimental ocular infections.

Clinical experience in the management of community-acquired pneumonia: lessons from the use of fluoroquinolones

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The treatment of CAP has been complicated by several factors, including the expanding spectrum of causative organisms and the rising prevalence of antibiotic resistance among respiratory pathogens. Initial antimicrobial treatment for patients with CAP is usually selected empirically and should provide appropriate coverage against the most common causative organisms, including resistant strains. Respiratory fluoroquinolones, such as levofloxacin, are the only antimicrobials that are highly active against the pathogens most frequently implicated in CAP, including macrolide-resistant and penicillin-resistant pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella spp., and atypical agents. This paper reviews recent studies involving adult patients with CAP that suggest that levofloxacin, as compared with other conventional antibiotic treatments, may be associated with better clinical outcomes.

Global spread of multiple aminoglycoside resistance genes

Emergence of the newly identified 16S rRNA methylases RmtA, RmtB, and ArmA in pathogenic gram-negative bacilli has been a growing concern. ArmA, which had been identified exclusively in Europe, was also found in several gram-negative pathogenic bacilli isolated in Japan, suggesting global dissemination of hazardous multiple aminoglycoside resistance genes.

Stable Antimicrobial Susceptibility Rates for Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the 2001–2003 Tracking Resistance in the United States Today Surveillance Studies

From 2001 to 2003, rates of susceptibility to piperacillin-tazobactam (86%), ceftazidime (80%), ciprofloxacin (68%), and levofloxacin (67%) did not decrease or decreased by <1.5%, whereas the rate of susceptibility to gentamicin decreased by 3.2% (from 75.5% to 72.3%) and the rate of susceptibility to imipenem decreased by 5.6% (from 84.4% to 78.8%), for 2394 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa collected in the Tracking Resistance in the United States Today surveillance studies. Rates of multidrug resistance (i.e., resistance to > or =3 antimicrobial agents) increased from 7.2% in 2001 to 9.9% in 2003 and were significantly higher for isolates from the East North Central and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States than for isolates from other regions. Analysis of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) suggested that combining an antipseudomonal beta -lactam with ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin would yield a 3.4%-7.1% increase in the percentage of isolates susceptible to the combination, compared with the beta -lactam alone. Ratios of the area under the serum concentration-time curve values for free drug to modal MICs for ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin were similar and were >125 (target ratio), whereas those ratios for gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin were significantly lower. Ongoing surveillance of P. aeruginosa is essential.