FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—The antibiotic besifloxacin1 demonstrated potent activity and high rates of eradication against problematic multi-drug resistant organisms that cause eye infections, according to the results of two studies presented today at the 2012 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
First, in 2011 findings from the Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring in Ocular Microorganisms (ARMOR) surveillance study, besifloxacin showed similar in-vitro potency to that of vancomycin, which has traditionally been a gold standard in treating eye infections caused by multi-drug resistant gram-positive pathogens. The ARMOR study, which monitors the potency of a variety of common antibiotics against ocular pathogens, is sponsored by global eye health company Bausch + Lomb. Besifloxacin is the first and only dual-halogenated chlorofluoroquinolone in topical ophthalmic use.
“Multi-drug resistance is an ongoing concern for all eye care providers, which is why we’re committed to sponsoring this important study and making sure doctors have the latest information,” said Dr. Cal Roberts, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Bausch + Lomb. “The new data show that therapies such as besifloxacin can help treat these challenging ocular infections, which continue to be a prevalent issue.”
Now in its fourth consecutive year, the ARMOR surveillance study began monitoring resistance trends among bacterial pathogens of ocular significance in 2009. Participating sites include community hospitals, university hospitals, and ocular centers across the U.S.
For the 2011 study presented at ARVO, 32 sites were enrolled to submit ocular isolates such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), Pseudomonas aeruginosa andHaemophilus influenzae for antibiotic susceptibility testing. Resistance levels of 786 isolates against a range of 14 to 16 representative antibiotics were measured by determining the lowest concentration of each antibiotic required to stop the growth of an individual isolate. For each species, summary data that show the concentration that inhibits 50% and 90% of all isolates of that species were also calculated. Isolates were categorized as susceptible, intermediate, or resistant, where applicable. Overall, the potency of besifloxacin against Staphylococcus species was comparable to that of vancomycin. Resistance among this pathogen group was highest for azithromycin, oxacillin and ciprofloxacin.
In a second study presented at ARVO, treatment of eye infections with besifloxacin suspension 0.6% showed high rates of eradication of both methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE).
For this study, data were pooled from 49 patients with bacterial conjunctivitis. Three to five days following treatment with besifloxacin, 75% and 84% of MRSA and MRSE infections, respectively, were eradicated. These rates increased to 83% and 89% at seven to nine days following treatment.
About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is one of the best-known and most respected healthcare companies in the world. Its core businesses include contact lenses and lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments, and ophthalmic pharmaceuticals. Founded in 1853, the company is headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., and employs more than 11,000 people worldwide. Its products are available in more than 100 countries. More information is available at www.bausch.com.
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News Media Contacts:
Teresa Panas
Director, Global Pharmaceutical Communications, Bausch + Lomb
(973) 360-6382 or teresa.panas@bausch.com
Diana Scott
Weber Shandwick on Behalf of Bausch + Lomb
(212) 537-8732 or dscott@webershandwick.com
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1Click to see prescribing information for besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension(214.8 KB, PDF)
United States
