1994 Volume 42 Issue Supplement4 Pages 55-63
The in vitro activity of biapenem (BIPM), a new carbapenem, was studied against anaerobic bacteria in comparison with other carbapenems and cephems. BIPM had broad spectrum against reference strains of anaerobes, inhibiting many anaerobic bacterial strains at 0.78μg/ml or less. This activity of BIPM was less than those of meropenem and imipenem but more than those of latamoxef and ceftazidime. BIPM was more active than imipenem against indole-positive Bacteroides fragilis group organisms. In the study using recent clinical isolates, the MIC of BIPM for 90% of B. fragilis (MIC90) was 1.56 μg/ml; the activity of BIPM was comparable to that of imipenem but less than that of meropenem. BIPM was the most active against Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, with an MIC90 of 0.78μg/ml. BIPM was less active than imipenem and meropenem against Peptostreptococcus spp. but the most active against Mobiluncus spp. and Clostridium perfringens. BIPM was stable against hydrolysis of oxyimino-cephalosporinase type I derived from B. fragilis and was active against oxyiminocephalosporinase type I-producing strains. Although BIPM was more stable than any other carbapenems tested against hydrolysis of oxyiminocephalosporinase type II, BIPM had little activity against oxyiminocephalosporinase type II-producing strains. These strong in vitro activity of BIPM against a variety of anaerobic bacteria suggests that BIPM would be a potent antimicrobial agent for the treatment of anaerobic bacterial infections.
