Clinical efficacy and tolerability of grepafloxacin in lower respiratory tract infection.

Studies in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) have compared grepafloxacin, 600 mg o.d. for 7--10 days, with amoxycillin, 500 mg t.d.s., cefaclor, 500 mg t.d.s., or clarithromycin, 250 mg b.d. Grepafloxacin appeared to be clinically as effective as the comparators. In CAP caused by Haemophilus influenzae, grepafloxacin was significantly superior to amoxycillin (p=0.005) and cefaclor (p=0.003) and equivalent to clarithromycin in eradicating the infecting organism. Bacterial eradication with grepafloxacin in CAP caused by Moraxella catarrhalis or Streptococcus pneumoniae was effective and equivalent to the comparator antibiotic. In an open study, grepafloxacin was also effective in treating atypical pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila. In acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (ABECB), studies have found once-daily treatment with grepafloxacin, 400 mg or 600 mg for 7--10 days, to be equivalent to amoxycillin, 500 mg t.d.s., or ciprofloxacin, 500 mg b.d. In patients with documented infections, bacteriologic eradication with grepafloxacin, 400 mg or 600 mg o.d., was superior to amoxycillin, 500 mg t.d.s. Results from clinical trials so far indicate that grepafloxacin has a broad spectrum of activity covering all important community-acquired respiratory pathogens, and may be suitable for the empirical treatment of respiratory infection.