Glaxo Wellcome's Promising New Antibiotic

Glaxo Wellcome has presented promising new data at the InternationalCongress of Chemotherapy in Sydney, Australia, from studies with Raxar (grepafloxacin), a new-generation quinolone, which it hopes will provide an important therapeutic advance in respiratory infections.

Raxar, which was licensed to GW by Otsuka Pharmaceutical of Japan, is effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and also has activity against the beta-lactam- and macrolide-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hemophilus influenzae.

Results from a clinical study comparing the safety and efficacy of Raxar with ciprofloxacin in the treatment of acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis showed that a 10-day course of Raxar 400mg or 600mg once-daily was as effective as ciprofloxacin 500mg twice-daily, but that Raxar achieved greater eradication of S pneumoniae.