IN-VITRO EVALUATION OF A NOVEL ORALLY-ADMINISTERED CEPHALOSPORIN (CEFDITOREN) TESTED AGAINST 1249 RECENT CLINICAL ISOLATES OF HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE, MORAXELLA-CATARRHALIS, AND STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE

Cefditoren (formerly ME-1206), a new orally administered cephalosporin , was evaluated in vitro against 1249 recently isolated strains of Str eptococcus pneumoniae (500 strains), Moraxella catarrhalis (250 strain s), and Haemophilus influenzae (499 strains). Reference National Commi ttee for Clinical Laboratory Standards methods were used and the strai ns were representative for the current rates of beta-lactamase product ion or penicillin resistance. Cefditoren had MIC50/ MIC90 results for Moraxella catarrhalis and Haemophilus influenzae of 0.12/0.5 and less than or equal to 0.008/0.015 mu g/mL, respectively. The pneumococci we re consistently twofold to eightfold more susceptible to cefditoren th an other oral cephalosporins or penicillins. The MIC90 for penicillin- resistant S, pneumoniae was only 2 mu g Cefditoren/mL, and the highest recorded MIC was 4 mu g/mL. Cefditoren appears to be a very promising beta-lactam possessing the greatest potency and potential spectrum ve rsus contemporary (1997) respiratory tract pathogens. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science Inc.