IN-VITRO MICROBIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF A NEW PENEM, MEN-10700

The in-vitro antibacterial activity of Men 10700, a novel penem, has b een compared with that of ritipenem, ciprofloxacin, amikacin, cefotaxi me and co-amoxiclav against 539 strains taken from 17 genera. Men 1070 0 was most active against staphylococci and streptococci (MIG, < 0.5 m g/L), slightly less active against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumo niae, Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter spp., Moraxella catarrhalis and p eptostreptococci (MIC90 0.5-2 mg/L), moderately active against Enteroc occus faecalis, members of the tribe Proteae, Serratia marcescens, Aci netobacter spp., clostridia and Bacteroides spp. (MIC90 4-16 mg/L), an d inactive against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophili a and Enterococcus faecium. Its antibacterial spectrum is thus slightl y less broad than that of imipenem, but it compares favourably with an oral third-generation cephalosporin. Men 10700 was more active than r itipenem against many species, especially Enterobacter sop. and Citrob acter spp.