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ARMOR Data Show High Levels of Resistance Continue to be an Issue
Second Poster Examines Antibiotic Susceptibility of Ocular Pathogens Collected from the Aqueous and Vitreous Humor Over Seven Years

FOR RELEASE WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016

SEATTLE, WA — Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health company, today announced preliminary 2015 results of the ARMOR (Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring in Ocular MicRoorganisms) surveillance study, the only multi-center, nationwide survey of antibiotic resistance patterns specific to eye care, at the 2016 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington.¹ Researchers also presented data that examined resistance profiles of common bacterial pathogens isolated from the aqueous and vitreous humor to antibiotics routinely used in ophthalmic practice.²

In the first study, ARMOR researchers reported comparisons of susceptibility rates available from surveillance in 2015 to results from 2014. At the time of the analysis, a total of 441 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Haemophilus influenzae, organisms frequently implicated in bacterial eye infections, were collected from 19 sites across the United States. The isolates were then tested for susceptibility to as many as 15 antibiotics.

Similar to previous years, study authors reported that surveillance data continue to show high levels of antibiotic resistance among staphylococcal isolates, especially among methicillin-resistant (MR) strains, with many demonstrating multidrug resistance. Resistance among the staphylococci was most notable for azithromycin (54-59%) oxacillin/methicillin (24-45%), and ciprofloxacin (22-28%), while CoNS isolates also exhibited high levels of non-susceptibility to tobramycin (19%) and trimethoprim (26%). In 2015, 20 percent of S. aureus isolates and 39 percent of CoNS isolates were non-susceptible to three or more drug classes, with multidrug resistance remaining prevalent among MR S. aureus (67%) and MRCoNS (74%). Isolates of S. pneumoniae remained susceptible to fluoroquinolones and chloramphenicol, while non-susceptibility to azithromycin and penicillin was 50 percent and 38 percent, respectively. Resistance among P. aeruginosa isolates continues to be low, while H. influenzae isolates were generally susceptible to all antibiotics tested.

“These latest data demonstrate that resistance of common ocular pathogens to several commonly used antibiotics continues to be a challenge,” said Penny Asbell, M.D., lead ARMOR study author, professor of Ophthalmology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and director of the Cornea Service and Refractive Surgery Center at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “Understanding antibiotic resistance patterns is critical for the selection of effective agents to treat potentially sight-threatening ocular infections. The ARMOR data allow physicians to select agents that have proven efficacy and a broad spectrum of activity.”

“ARMOR, now beginning its eighth year, is the only study that monitors antimicrobial resistance trends in ocular infections,” says, Cal Roberts, M.D., chief medical officer, Bausch + Lomb. “Once a rarity, drug-resistant ocular infections have become increasingly more common.  At Bausch + Lomb, we are proud to support this important study, which provides vital information to the ophthalmology community and helps physicians make better treatment decisions that can help prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance.”

In a second study, investigators examined antibiotic resistance profiles of 172 aqueous and vitreous humor isolates collected between 2009 through 2015 through the ARMOR surveillance study, including 30 Staphylococcus aureus, 100 CoNS, 21 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 10 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 11 Haemophilus influenzae. Similar to the preliminary 2015 ARMOR findings, researchers reported that antibiotic resistance was prevalent among staphylococcal isolates, particularly CoNS, with many demonstrating multidrug resistance. 

About Bausch + Lomb 

Bausch + Lomb, a Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. company, is a leading global eye health organization that is solely focused on protecting, enhancing, and restoring people’s eyesight. Our core businesses include ophthalmic pharmaceuticals; contact lenses and lens care products, and ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments.  We globally develop, manufacture and market one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in our industry, which are available in more than 100 countries. 

References
1. Sanfilippo, Christine M.; DeCory, Heleen H.; Sahm, Daniel F.; Asbell, Penny A. “Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Ocular Pathogens – An Update from the 2015 ARMOR Surveillance Study.” [The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA, on Wednesday, May 4, 3:45 – 5:30 PT, Session 475, Poster 5404 – B0144].

2. Asbell, Penny A.; DeCory, Heleen H.; Sahm, Daniel F.; Sanfilippo, Christine M. “In Vitro Antibiotic Susceptibility of Ocular Pathogens Collected from the Aqueous and Vitreous Humor During the ARMOR Surveillance Study.” [The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA, on Monday, May 2, 3:45 – 5:30 PT, Session 272, Poster 2348 – A0015].

Dr. Penny Asbell receives financial compensation as an advisory board member for Bausch + Lomb.

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© 2016 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated.

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