IN-VITRO ACTIVITY of 3 CARBAPENEM ANTIBIOTICS - COMPARATIVE-STUDIES WITH BIAPENEM (L-627), IMIPENEM, and MEROPENEM AGAINST AEROBIC PATHOGENS ISOLATED WORLDWIDE

Abstract

The in vitro activity of biapenem (formerly L-627 or LJC10, 627), a new carbapenem, was compared with that of imipenem and meropenem against >6000 clinically significant pathogens isolated in six countries worldwide. Biapenem was active against members of the family Enterobacteriaceae with a 90% minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC(90)) ranging from less than or equal to 0.06 to 2 mu g/ml. Only Serratia spp. and Providencia spp. were less susceptible (MIC(90), 8 mu g/ml). Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Xanthomonas maltophilia displayed an MIC(90) of greater than or equal to 8 mu g/ml biapenem/ml whereas Acinetobacter spp. were susceptible at less than or equal to 1 mu g/ml. Oxacillin-resistant staphylococci were resistant to biapenem at >8 mu g/ml whereas oxacillin-sensitive staphylococci were susceptible at less than or equal to 1 mu g/ml. Biapenem, imipenem, and meropenem displayed poor activity against Ent. faecium (MIC(90), greater than or equal to 8 mu g/ml), and only imipenem displayed slightly better activity against Ent. faecalis (MIC(90), 4 mu g/ml). the rank order of activity against groups of isolates was Enterobacteriaceae (meropenem>biapenem greater than or equal to imipenem), Ps. aeruginosa (biapenem=meropenem=imipenem), oxacillin-sensitive staphylococci (imipenem greater than or equal to biapenem=merepenem), oxacillin-resistant staphylococci (biapenem=meropenem=imipenem), and Enterococcus spp. (biapenem=meropenem=imipenem). These in vitro results suggest that further developmental work on biapenem is warranted.