Laboratory studies with cefatrizine (SK + F 60771), a new broad-spectrum orally-active cephalosporin.

Cefatrizine (SK&F 60771), a new orally-active semisynthetic cephalosporin antibiotic with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, was compared with cephalexin and cefazolin for in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity and pharmacokinetic behavior in laboratory animals. The average MIC values obtained with cefatrizine against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were superior to those obtained with cephalexin and somewhat poorer than those of cefazolin. In addition, a large percentage of the enterobacter and enterococcus isolates were found to be susceptible. Cefatrizine had a longer biological half-life and a higher peak serum level than either cefazolin or cephalexin when administered parenterally or orally to mice at 20 mg/kg. It had striking in vivo protective activity in mice infected with Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Hemophilus influenzae, Proteus morganii or Staphylococcus aureus reflecting its superior pharmacokinetic profile in this animal species. A variable pharmacokinetic response between animal species was observed when cefatrizine was administered either orally or parenterally to dogs, squirrel monkeys or rabbits.