In vitro activity and beta-lactamase stability of U-63196E, a novel cephalosporin

The in vitro activity of U-63196E, a new broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic, was studied against various gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and compared with the in vitro activities of cefotaxime, moxalactam, cefoperazone, ceftazidime, and aztreonam. Although U-63196E inhibited many ampicillin-resistant bacteria and its activity against gram-negative species was similar to cefoperazone, it was much less active than the other agents. U-63196E was less active than cefazolin against gram-positive species, and it was less active than cefoxitin or moxalactam against Bacteroides fragilis. U-63196E did not inhibit most cefoperazone- or cefsulodin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There was a difference between minimal inhibitory concentrations and minimal bactericidal concentrations for isolates which contained beta-lactamases. Plasmid beta-lactamases of the TEM, HSV, OXA, and PSE types hydrolyzed U-63196E. But U-63196E was relatively stable against hydrolysis by the chromosomal beta-lactamases.