S-P announces positive Avelox study data

US drugmaker Schering-Plough says that the antibiotic Avelox (moxifloxacin HCl), which it markets in the USA in partnership with the drug's German originator Bayer AG, has shown comparable efficacy to combined, two-drug treatment of severe community-acquired pneumonia infection. CAP affects approximately 5.6 million adults in the USA each year, with elderly citizens being more likely to develop the condition.

The results are derived from the moxifloxacin treatment intravenous (MOTIV) study, which directly compared once-daily 400mg Avelox treatment with a combined high-dose levofloxacin 500mg plus ceftriaxone regimen. The results showed that there was no significant difference in cure rates four-14 days after final treatment between the two therapies (86.9% versus 89.9%, respectively).

Antoni Torres, professor of pulmonology at the University of Barcelona, Spain, said that the results are important as CAP is a growing concern around the world, particularly in patients with chronic illnesses and impaired immune function. The firm added that the compound has demonstrated its safety and efficacy in the treatment of CAP infected patients.