In vitro activity of tigecycline and comparators against a European compilation of anaerobes collected as part of the Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trial (TEST)

Abstract

The Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trial (TEST) is a global surveillance study designed to monitor the in vitro activity of the broad-spectrum antimicrobial tigecycline against nosocomial- and community-acquired pathogens. In this study the in vitro activity of tigecycline against 1256 anaerobic pathogens collected across Europe has been compared to the activity of several comparator antibiotics. The pathogens examined in this study included Bacteroides, Prevotella, Anaerococcus, Clostridium, Finegoldia and Peptostreptococcus. Low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC₉₀) values were noted against Gram-positive anaerobes for most agents on the test panel, with the exceptions of cefoxitin and clindamycin. Low MIC₉₀s were also reported against Gram-negative isolates for most agents, with the exceptions of clindamycin and, to a lesser degree, piperacillin–tazobactam. The lowest MIC₉₀s against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms were typically noted for the carbapenem meropenem and tigecycline. Tigecycline showed the lowest MIC₉₀ against the key pathogen Clostridium difficile (0.25 mg/l). These in vitro results indicate that tigecycline may be useful in the treatment of infections caused by or involving anaerobic pathogens.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all of the TEST investigators who participated in the study as well as IHMA for coordination of the TEST study. Dr Rod Taylor (Micron Research Ltd, Chatteris, UK) provided medical writing assistance for the production of this manuscript; Micron Research Ltd also provided data analysis services. These services were funded by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. The TEST study is funded by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Declaration of interest: Elisabeth Nagy has no conflicts of interest or financial support to declare. Michael J. Dowzicky is an employee of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.