The recommended dosing of ceftaroline is 600 mg IV every 12 hours. The half-life is 1.6 hours for single doses and 2.66 hours for multiple doses.
Two phase III studies comparing ceftaroline with ceftriaxone in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia were presented during the 2009 meeting of the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. The studies demonstrated higher cure rates for patients in the ceftaroline group, compared with those in the ceftriaxone group (83% vs. 77%, respectively, among all study participants, and 86% vs. 69% among patients with S. pneumoniae).
Another strategy for combating antibiotic resistance involves improving ways to use available antibiotics on the market. Dr. Miller said that there are eight National Institutes of Health–funded trials aimed at this approach, including short-course therapy, narrow-spectrum therapies, combination vs. monotherapy, and pharmacodynamic dosing guidance.
Dr. Miller said that she had no relevant financial disclosures to make.