BMS284756 (formerly T-3811, a des-fluoroquinolone) potency and spectrum tested against over 10 000 bacterial bloodstream infection isolates from the SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance programme (2000)

BMS284756 is a novel des-F (6)-quinolone, which has a wide range of activity against many species of Gram-positive and -negative organisms. The potency of BMS284756 was compared with that of other quinolones, including ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin and levofloxacin, and was tested against >10,000 bloodstream isolates from the year 2000 SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance programme. Twelve pathogens accounted for nearly all of the referred isolates and included Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter spp., Serratia spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp., Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus pneumoniae and beta-haemolytic or viridans group streptococci. Of the four quinolones tested, BMS284756 was the most active overall against Staphylococcus spp. (MIC(50) < or = 0.03 mg/L) and Streptococcus spp. (MIC(50) 0.06 mg/L). In contrast, BMS284756 was less potent than the other quinolones against the enteric Gram-negative bacilli (MIC(50) < or = 0.03-1 mg/L). With a proposed breakpoint of < or =4 mg/L, BMS284756 may be a therapeutic alternative pending the results of clinical trials.