In vitro antibacterial activity of TOC-50, a new parenteral cephalosporin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis

The in vitro activity of TOC-50, a new parenteral cephalosporin, was assessed against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE). TOC-50 showed excellent activity, which was stronger than that of methicillin, cloxacillin, the cephalosporins tested, imipenem, gentamycin, minocycline, ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin against MRSA and had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIG) comparable to that of vancomycin (the MICs of TOC-50 and vancomycin for growth inhibition of 90% of the strains tested were 3.13 and 1.56 mu g/ml, respectively). Against MRSE, TOC-50 exhibited excellent activity, which was stronger than that of methicillin, ampicillin, the cephalosporins tested and imipenem, and was twice as active as vancomycin. In terms of the bactericidal effect against MRSA, TOC-50 was superior to vancomycin.