RATIONALE FOR AND EFFICACY OF PROLONGED-INTERVAL TREATMENT USING LIPOSOME-ENCAPSULATED AMIKACIN IN EXPERIMENTAL MYCOBACTERIUM-AVIUM INFECTION

The potential of liposome-encapsulated antibiotics for prolonging drug application intervals was investigated by using a murine model of chr onic lethal Mycobacterium avium infection. Liposomal encapsulation of amikacin, but not of ciprofloxacin, resulted in high and sustained dru g levels in infected tissues, exceeding the minimal inhibitory concent ration for M. avium for at least 28 days. As a consequence, once-weekl y and even once-monthly treatments with liposomal amikacin significant ly reduced bacterial replication in infected tissues and extended the survival time of infected mice.