Clarithromycin in 2003: Sustained efficacy and safety in an era of rising antibiotic resistance

Data from surveillance studies show increasing prevalence of respiratory pathogens resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Thus, a Medline search was conducted to identify studies of clarithromycin, especially those addressing macrolide resistance. Changing trends of in vitro susceptibility have not affected clinical efficacy with clarithromycin. Over the last 12 years, clarithromycin study results have shown consistent rates of clinical cure and bacteriological eradication, which are similar to those observed with comparator agents. The incidence of clarithromycin treatment failure in patients infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae is substantially less than that predicted by macrolide resistance rates from surveillance programmes. In summary, despite widespread use since its introduction, clarithromycin remains active both in vitro and in vivo against clinically relevant respiratory tract pathogens.