title: A randomized, double-blind trial comparing ceftobiprole medocaril with vancomycin plus ceftazidime for the treatment of patients with complicated skin and skin-structure infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial involving patients with a broad range of complicated skin and skin-structure infections due to either gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria was conducted to compare ceftobiprole monotherapy with treatment with vancomycin plus ceftazidime.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive ceftobiprole or to receive vancomycin plus ceftazidime. Outcomes were determined at a test-of-cure visit (7-14 days after completion of therapy) and were analyzed for all patients with complicated skin and skin-structure infections, as well as for subgroups, on the basis of major types of infections and severity of disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the clinically evaluable and the intent-to-treat populations, clinical cure rates at the test-of-cure visit were similar in the ceftobiprole and comparator treatment arms (clinical cure rate, 90.5% [439 of 485 patients] and 90.2% [220 of 244 patients] in the clinically evaluable population, respectively; 81.9% [448 of 547 patients] and 80.8% [227 of 281 patients] in the intent-to-treat population, respectively). Clinical cure rates in ceftobiprole-treated patients ranged from 86.2% (125 of 145 patients) among those with diabetes who had foot infections to 93.0% (80 of 86 patients) among those with cellulitis. Among patients treated with ceftobiprole, clinical cure rates were similar among patients from whom gram-negative bacteria were isolated (87.9% [109 of 124 patients]) and among patients from whom gram-positive bacteria were isolated (91.8% [292 of 318 patients]) and were not statistically different from the clinical cure rates among comparator-treated patients (89.7% [61 of 68 patients] and 90.3% [149 of 165 patients], respectively). Rates of adverse events and serious adverse events in the 2 treatment groups were similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ceftobiprole monotherapy is as effective as vancomycin plus ceftazidime for treating patients with a broad range of complicated skin and skin-structure infections and infections due to gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Raritan, New Jersey 08869, USA. GNoel1@prdus.jnj.com
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Noel
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.forename: Partha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bagchi
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ianus
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Strauss
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002442:Ceftazidime / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins; D014640:Vancomycin; D002442:Ceftazidime; C505439:ceftobiprole medocaril