title: Besifloxacin: a novel anti-infective for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis.
abstract: Bacterial conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye, is demographically unbiased in its prevalence and can be caused by a variety of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Timely empiric treatment with a broad-spectrum anti-infective, such as a topical fluoroquinolone, is critical in preventing potentially irreversible ocular damage. However, the rise in ocular methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates and the patterns of fluoroquinolone resistance for patients with other ocular bacterial infections mandate the need for new agents targeted for ocular use. Besifloxacin, a novel broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone, is approved for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis. It has a uniquely balanced dual-targeting activity that inhibits both DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV and is associated with a lower incidence of resistance development. Besifloxacin is not marketed in other formulations, ensuring that its exposure is limited to bacterial populations in and around the eye. This specifically precludes any bacterial exposure to besifloxacin resulting from systemic use, which further reduces the likelihood of emergence of bacterial resistance. In vitro, besifloxacin has demonstrated equivalent or superior activity compared with other commonly used topical antibiotics. In clinical trials, besifloxacin has consistently demonstrated efficacy and safety in the treatment of patients with bacterial conjunctivitis. Besifloxacin is considered safe and is well tolerated with no observed contraindications.
authors.affiliation: Global Medical Affairs, Pharmaceuticals, Bausch and Lomb, Inc., Rochester, NY, USA. tcomstock@bausch.com
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Comstock
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Karpecki
authors.forename: Timothy W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Jin-Zhong
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
references.citation: Curr Med Res Opin. 2009 May;25(5):1159-69
references.pmid: 19323612
references.citation: Clin Ther. 2001 Aug;23(8):1296-310
references.pmid: 11558866
references.citation: Ophthalmology. 2008 Jan;115(1):51-6
references.pmid: 17572497
references.citation: Ophthalmology. 1999 Jul;106(7):1313-8
references.pmid: 10406613
references.citation: J Chemother. 2007 Apr;19(2):146-51
references.pmid: 17434822
references.citation: Surv Ophthalmol. 2004 Mar;49 Suppl 2:S79-83
references.pmid: 15028483
references.citation: Lancet Infect Dis. 2003 Jun;3(6):359-71
references.pmid: 12781508
references.citation: J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2009 Jul-Aug;49(4):570-4
references.pmid: 19589772
references.citation: J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2008 May 1;867(1):105-10
references.pmid: 18417430
references.citation: Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2009 Aug;53(8):3552-60
references.pmid: 19506065
references.citation: Am Fam Physician. 1998 Feb 15;57(4):735-46
references.pmid: 9490996
references.citation: J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2008 Mar-Apr;45(2):78-84
references.pmid: 18404954
references.citation: J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Jun;23(3):243-56
references.pmid: 17593008
references.citation: J Antimicrob Chemother. 2009 Mar;63(3):443-50
references.pmid: 19147516
references.citation: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007 Aug;48(8):3425-9
references.pmid: 17652708
references.citation: J Cataract Refract Surg. 2008 May;34(5):814-8
references.pmid: 18471638
references.citation: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Apr 19;(2):CD001211
references.pmid: 16625540
references.citation: Cleve Clin J Med. 2008 Jul;75(7):507-12
references.pmid: 18646586
references.citation: J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Aug;25(4):335-44
references.pmid: 19492955
references.citation: Clin Ther. 2009 Mar;31(3):514-26
references.pmid: 19393842
references.citation: Ophthalmology. 2009 Sep;116(9):1615-1623.e1
references.pmid: 19643483
references.citation: Clin Microbiol Rev. 1999 Jan;12(1):147-79
references.pmid: 9880479
references.citation: Am J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jun;145(6):951-958
references.pmid: 18374299