INVITRO ACTIVITY AND BETA-LACTAMASE STABILITY OF FK-037, A PARENTERAL CEPHALOSPORIN

The in vitro activity of FK-037, 5-amino-2-[[(6R, 7R)-7-[[(Z)-2-(2-amino-4-thiazolyl)-2-(methoxyimino) acetyl] amino]-2-carboxy-8-oxo-5-thia-1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-en-3-yl]methyl]-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1H-pyrazolium hydroxide, inner salt, sulfate (1:1), a new parenteral cephem, was compared with those of cefepime, ceftazidime, imipenem, and ciprofloxacin. FK-037 inhibited methicillin-susceptible staphylococci at less-than-or-equal-to 4 mug/ml. Of 98 isolates of homogenous methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 55 (56.1%) were inhibited by 8 mug of FK-037 per ml, compared to 3.1% for cefepime- Imipenem was the most active beta-lactam tested against staphylococci. The MIC of FK-037 for 90% of the strains tested (MIC90) was 0.06 mug/ml for hemolytic streptococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae, viridans group streptococci, and Streptococcus bovis. The MIC9, for many of the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae was 1 mug/ml, similar to that of cefepime and lower than those of ceftazidime and imipenem. The MIC90 for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae was 8 mug/ml, similar to that for cefepime, but all isolates were inhibited by 2 mug of imipenem per ml. K. pneumoniae isolates with cefotaxime and ceftazidime MICs of >32 mug/ml with Bush type 2b' beta-lactamases were inhibited by 4 mug of FK-037 per ml. E. cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, and S. aureus stably resistant to FK-037 could be selected by repeated transfer in the presence of FK-037. The FK-037 MIC90 for Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 4 mug/ml, compared to 32 mug/ml for cefepime and ceftazidime and 8 mug/ml for imipenem. Xanthomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas cepacia, Acinetobacter anitratus, and Bacteroides species were resistant to FK-037 (MIC, greater-than-or-equal-to 32 mug/ml). MBCs were identical to or within twofold of the MICs except for a 32-fold greater MBC for P. aeruginosa. Inoculum size and acid environment did not lower the activity of FK-037. FK-037 was not appreciably hydrolyzed by Bush group 1, 2a, 2b, and 2e beta-lactamases but was hydrolyzed by 2b' and 2d enzymes at rates comparable to that of ceftazidime. Nonetheless, FK-037 inhibited bacteria possessing TEM-3, -5, and -7 and SHV-5 at less-than-or-equal-to 8 mug/ml. Overall, FK-037 has lower MICs against staphylococci and P. aeruginosa than the currently available aminomethoxy aminothiazolyl cephalosporins and has activity against members of the family Enterobacteriaceae comparable to that of cefepime.