Clinical efficacy of cefonicid in the treatment of staphylococcal infections.

Cefonicid is a parenteral cephalosporin with a half-life of 4.5 hours, which permits once-daily dosing. The efficacy of cefonicid in the treatment of established staphylococcal infections was reviewed in all patients with infections due to staphylococci who were treated with cefonicid during the US clinical development program. Two hundred evaluable cases were identified, of which 95 had other pathogens as well. Cefonicid was clinically effective in 92% of skin and soft tissue infections, 74% of bone and joint infections, 83% of respiratory tract infections, and 95% of urinary tract infections. None of the three evaluable patients with Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis responded to cefonicid. Thus, based on current evidence, cefonicid is not effective in the treatment of established staphylococcal endocarditis. However, for the treatment of staphylococcal infections at other sites, cefonicid is comparable to other cephalosporins, most of which must be administered more frequently than cefonicid and thus are less cost-effective.