New R-PR Anti-Infective Targets Severe Infections

Rhone-Poulenc Rorer's new streptogramin antibiotic Synercid (quinupristin/dalfopristin) is effective in infections which are resistant to almost all other antibiotics, according to studies presented at a meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, at the end of last month.

At the 3rd International Conference on Macrolides, Azalides and Streptogramins, Robert Moellering of Harvard Medical School in the USA presented data on 115 patients with documented bacteremia involving vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. Vancomycin is a last-line antibiotic for these and other Gram-positive infections.

A total of 40 out of 60 evaluable patients treated with Synercid for more than five days showed a clinical response, a rate of 67%. These data are particularly promising, said Dr Moellering, as these patients had failed all other treatments and had a range of severe underlying conditions including immunosuppression, prior surgery and hemodialysis.