Despite the availability of therapy for selected symptoms, no specific antiviral agents are available to treat or prevent infections due to the viruses of the Picornaviridae family--rhinoviruses and enteroviruses. Characterization of the three-dimensional structure of picornaviruses in the 1980s allowed development of compounds targeted at the virus itself. Pleconaril is a novel, orally available, systemically acting molecule whose pharmacokinetics are characterized by a two-compartment open model with first-order absorption and with a safety profile similar to that of placebo. It shows promising results in treatment of picornaviral respiratory tract infections, meningitis, and other life-threatening infections.

The probability of attaining lower pharmacodynamic targets for most gram-negative bacteria is similar for these carbapenems; however, differences become apparent as the pharmacodynamic requirement increases. Further study of the benefits of achieving this pharmacodynamic breakpoint with a higher probability of attaining targets is necessary.

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Recent clinical failures associated with levofloxacin treatment for Streptococcus pneumoniae infections and growing evidence of frequent mutations in the isolate population have led to increased concerns regarding fluoroquinolone resistance. Our objective was to characterize the efficacies of levofloxacin and moxifloxacin against various genotypes of S. pneumoniae after simulated bronchopulmonary exposures. An in vitro model was used to simulate a levofloxacin concentration of 500 mg and a moxifloxacin concentration of 400 mg, which were previously determined to be the concentrations in the epithelial lining fluid of older adults receiving once-daily dosing. The effects of the drugs were tested against six S. pneumoniae containing various mutations. Bacterial density and resistance were quantitatively assessed over 48 h. The S. pneumoniae isolate with no mutation displayed a 4-log reduction in CFU after treatment with both agents and did not develop resistance. Isolates containing the parC or parE mutation or both mutations regrew and developed resistance when they were exposed to levofloxacin, despite an unbound area under the concentration-time curve (AUC):MIC ratio of ϳ100. When the isolate containing the parC and gyrA mutations was exposed to levofloxacin, there was a half-log reduction in the number of CFU compared to that for the control, but the isolate subsequently regrew. Likewise, levofloxacin did not kill the isolate containing the parC, gyrA, and parE mutations. Moxifloxacin sustained the killing of all bacterial isolates tested without the development of resistance. Levofloxacin did not sustain bacterial killing and did not prevent the emergence of further resistance in mutants with the parC or parE mutation or both mutations, even though an unbound AUC:MIC ratio for exposure well above the breakpoint of 30 to 40 established in the literature for S. pneumoniae was maintained. Moxifloxacin was effective against all isolates tested, despite the presence of isolates with two-and three-step mutations, for which the MICs were increased.Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common organism associated with lower respiratory tract infections and accounts for approximately 50% of all cases of community-acquired pneumonia, 35% of cases of acute sinusitis and acute otitis media, and 20% of chronic bronchitis infections (15,28). Of growing concern with S. pneumoniae is the increasing levels of resistance to commonly used antimicrobials, namely, the penicillins and other ␤-lactams, as well as the macrolides. The frequencies of resistance to penicillin and the macrolides among S. pneumoniae strains are estimated to be 40 and 30%, respectively (10). As such, use of one of the antipneumococcal fluoroquinolones (levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin) as monotherapy for lower respiratory tract infections is fast becoming common practice in both the inpatient and the outpatient settings.With the increasing use of the antipneumococcal fluoroquinolones, issues surrounding the development of resistance to these agents ...

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