Roxithromycin in nongonococcal urethritis.

This presentation is a summary of five different studies on the efficacy and tolerance of roxithromycin in the treatment of non-gonococcal genital infections. Three of the studies were double-blind comparative and two were open studies. Of the 924 out-patients whose data were analysed for clinical efficacy, 637 received treatment with roxithromycin 150 mg bd. The standard dose of roxithromycin, 150 mg bd for ten days, was compared with doxycycline 200 mg daily, lymecycline 300 mg bd and roxithromycin 450 mg once daily. The overall clinical success rate was 90% (576 of 637 patients) for roxithromycin 150 mg bd. In the three comparative trials, no significant difference was found between the clinical success rates of roxithromycin 150 mg bd and the other drugs. The overall clinical success rate with roxithromycin 150 mg bd was 92% (512/558) in nongonococcal urethritis and 81% (64/79) in cervicovaginitis. Taking into account all patients treated with roxithromycin 150 mg bd, the bacteriological success rate was 90% (444/492). In the comparative trials, no significant difference could be found between the treatment groups. Roxithromycin 150 mg bd was effective in eradicating 97% (308/316) of the isolates of Chlamydia trachomatis, 88% (149/170) of Ureaplasma urealyticum, 73% (40/55) of Mycoplasma hominis and 57% (13/23) of Gardnerella vaginalis. The present findings show that a high cure rate can be achieved with a ten-day course of treatment with roxithromycin and that it is at least as effective as the tetracyclines commonly used in the treatment of nongonococcal urethritis. A higher dosage than 300 mg/day of roxithromycin did not offer any clear advantage in terms of efficacy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)