Telithromycin 800 mg once daily for seven to ten days is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for community-acquired pneumonia

Objective This open, multinational study examined the efficacy and tolerability of telithromycin (HMR 3647), the first ketolide antibacterial agent, at an oral dose of 800 mg once daily for seven to ten days (further validated using pharmacokinetic analysis) as an empiric therapy in adults with mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods A total of 240 patients (aged 18-79 years; median 40 years) with clinical signs and symptoms of CAP (radiologically confirmed) were enrolled in the study and received at least one dose of study medication. Sputum and blood samples for bacteriologic documentation were collected within 48 h prior to enrollment. Clinical and bacteriological outcomes were assessed 17-21 days (test of cure visit) and 31-36 days (late post-therapy visit) after treatment initiation. Adverse events were assessed by spontaneous reporting and investigator observation. Results At the test of cure visit, 92.9% (95% CI: 88.4-96.1; n = 197) of patients achieved clinical cure in the per-protocol (PP) population. In the modified intent-to-treat (mITT) population, the cure rate was 79.6% (95% CI: 73.9-84.5; n = 240), including 12.5% of undetermined cases categorized as failures. Clinical cure (PP population) remained high in patients greater than or equal to65 years (85.7%), and in patients with a Fine score greater than or equal toIII (92.1%). Among those patients for whom bacteriologic data were available, the majority had a satisfactory outcome (88.9% in the bacteriologic PP; n = 45). Bacterial eradication rates were similarly high (85.5% and 82.7% for the mITT and PP populations, respectively). All patients with infections as a result of atypical/intracellular pathogens Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae , Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Legionella pneumophila had a clinical outcome of cure. Treatment was well tolerated. Adverse events were mainly gastrointestinal in origin and mild in intensity. Conclusion An oral dose of telithromycin 800 mg once daily for seven to ten days is an effective and well-tolerated first-line treatment for mild to moderate CAP in adults.