Assessment of the activity of ceftaroline against clinical isolates of penicillin-intermediate and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae with elevated MICs of ceftaroline using an in vitro pharmacodynamic model

This study assessed the pharmacodynamics of ceftaroline against penicillin-intermediate and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae with elevated MICs of ceftaroline using an in vitro pharmacodynamic model. Nine isolates of S. pneumoniae, including one penicillin-susceptible isolate, one penicillin-intermediate isolate and seven penicillin-resistant isolates, were tested. The pharmacodynamic model was inoculated with a concentration of 110(6) cfu/mL and ceftaroline was dosed twice daily (at 0 and 12 h) to simulate the fC(max) (maximum free concentration in serum) and t(1/2) (half-life in serum) obtained after 600 mg intravenous doses every 12 h (fC(max), 16 mg/L; t(1/2), 2.6 h). Ceftaroline was compared with ceftriaxone dosed once daily to simulate the fC(max) and t(1/2) obtained after a 1 g dose (fC(max), 18 mg/L; t(1/2), 8.0 h). Samples were collected over 24 h to assess viable growth and possible changes in ceftaroline MICs over time. Ceftaroline fT(MIC) (time of free serum concentration over the MIC) of 100 (ceftaroline MICs, 0.5 mg/L) was bactericidal (epsilon 3 log(10) killing) against all isolates at 6 h and completely eradicated all organisms at 12 and 24 h. No bacterial regrowth occurred over the study period and no changes in ceftaroline MICs were observed. Upon ceftriaxone exposure, S. pneumoniae isolates with ceftriaxone MICs of 0.12 and 0.25 mg/L were eradicated, but isolates with ceftriaxone MICs of 18 mg/L resulted in initial bacterial reduction at 6 h with organism regrowth at 12 h and no reduction in organism concentration, relative to the starting inoculum, at 24 h. Ceftaroline fT(MIC) of 100 (ceftaroline MICs, 0.5 mg/L) was bactericidal (epsilon 3 log(10) killing) and eradicated all S. pneumoniae at 12 and 24 h with no regrowth.