In vitro activity of cefcanel versus other oral cephalosporins

Cefcanel is a new orally absorbed cephalosporin. Its activity was compared with that of cefuroxime, cefaclor, cephalexin, and cefixime against gram-positive and negative aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Cefcanel had excellent activity against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, MIC90 1 micrograms/ml, superior to the other oral cephalosporins. However, methicillin-resistant staphylococci were resistant, MIC greater than or equal to 16 micrograms/ml. Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae were inhibited by 0.015-1 micrograms/ml, concentrations comparable to other cephalosporins. Clostridium spp. were inhibited by 0.25 micrograms/ml, 8- to 128-fold lower concentrations than were found for other agents, but the MICs were greater than 64 micrograms/ml for Bacteroides spp. The MIC90 for Moraxella catarrhalis was 1 micrograms/ml, similar to cefuroxime but 16-fold greater than the MICs of cefixime. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia which were high beta-lactamase producers were resistant, MICs greater than 64 micrograms/ml, and 50% of Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii were resistant. Cefcanel was hydrolyzed by TEM-1, TEM-3 and Moraxella Bro-1 beta-lactamases. Escherichia coli containing TEM-1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9 had cefcanel MICs of greater than or equal to 16 micrograms/ml. Although cefcanel inhibited gram-positive species as well as or at lower concentrations than other cephalosporins, it lacked activity against gram-negative species that produced common plasmid beta-lactamase although it inhibited Haemophilus influenzae carrying TEM-1.