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Background: Clarithromycin is commonly dosed for 7 or more days in patients with acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (ABECB). Studies with other antibiotics have shown equivalent efficacy, reduced/similar frequency of adverse events, improved adherence and patient satisfaction, and lower treatment costs with a shorter treatment course., Patients and Methods: The study population was derived from two multicenter, randomized, double-blind (North America)/single-blind (France) comparative trials in which outpatients at least 35 years old with a presumptive diagnosis of obstructive ABECB were randomized to receive clarithromycin extended-release (ER) 1000 mg once daily for 5 days or a comparator agent--clarithromycin immediate-release (IR) 500 mg twice daily for 7 days (in North America) or telithromycin 800 mg once daily for 5 days (in France)., Results: A total of 818 patients were randomized (411 to clarithromycin ER and 407 to a comparator agent). The clinical cure rate in clinically evaluable patients at the follow-up visit was 90% each for the clarithromycin ER group (318/353) and the comparator group (318/355). The patient bacteriological cure rate and the overall target pathogen eradication rate in clinically and bacteriologically evaluable patients were each 92% for the clarithromycin ER group (155/168 and 189/205, respectively) and 93% for the comparator group (147/158 and 183/197, respectively) at the follow-up visit. The study drugs were generally well tolerated, with < 2% of patients discontinuing their treatment prematurely due to a drug-related adverse event. The incidence of drug-related adverse events was 18% (73/411) in the clarithromycin ER group and 24% (97/407) in the comparator group. Clarithromycin ER-treated patients reported statistically significantly fewer episodes of abdominal pain than did patients treated with a comparator agent (0.2% vs. 1.7%, respectively; p = 0.037). This combined analysis is limited by differing blinding methods, comparator agents, and their duration of administration. Furthermore, many patients were excluded from the clinically and bacteriologically evaluable group due to lack of a pretreatment target pathogen., Conclusion: A once daily, 5-day clarithromycin ER regimen appears to be a suitable choice for treating patients with ABECB.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of two clarithromycin regimens, extended-release (ER) 1000 mg once daily for 5 days and immediate-release (IR) 500 mg twice daily for 7 days, in the treatment of acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (ABECB)., Patients and Methods: This was a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter study of ambulatory patients at least 40 years old with a presumptive diagnosis of ABECB, purulent sputum, and documented evidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) < 70% of predicted value. Clinical cure, bacteriological cure, and target pathogen eradication rates were determined at a test-of-cure visit (study days 14-40). Safety was assessed based on the incidence of study drug-related adverse events., Results: A total of 485 patients were randomized (240 to ER and 245 to IR). Clinical cure rates were similar for evaluable patients treated with ER (84%, 157/187) and those treated with IR (84%, 172/204) (95% CI -7.9, 7.2). The bacteriological cure rates were 87% (82/94) and 89% (91/102), and the overall target pathogen eradication rates were 88% (107/122) and 89% (117/131) for the respective treatment groups. The incidence of adverse events was 13% (31/240) in the ER group and 18% (45/245) in the IR group. The rate of gastrointestinal adverse events was lower with ER (8%, 19/240) compared to IR (11%, 26/245). Clarithromycin ER-treated patients reported statistically significantly fewer adverse events due to abnormal taste than did clarithromycin IR-treated patients (3% and 8%, respectively, p = 0.012)., Conclusion: Both once-daily, 5-day, short-course therapy with clarithromycin ER and 7-day, twice-daily therapy with clarithromycin IR were effective in resolving clinical signs/symptoms of ABECB and eradicating the causative pathogens, with no statistically significant difference in clinical cure rate between the treatment groups. Clarithromycin ER was better tolerated, causing fewer gastrointestinal adverse events and statistically significantly fewer reports of abnormal taste as compared with clarithromycin IR.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of clarithromycin extended-release (ER) to amoxicillin/ clavulanate in patients diagnosed with acute bacterial sinusitis., Research Design and Methods: In a controlled, multicenter, investigator-blinded study, 437 ambulatory patients at least 12 years old with signs/symptoms and radiographic findings of acute sinusitis were randomized to receive clarithromycin ER 1000 mg once daily or amoxicillin/ clavulanate 875 mg/l25 mg twice daily for 14 days., Main Outcome Measures: Clinical and bacteriological response rates were determined at a test-of-cure visit, which was conducted up to 10 days following the completion of treatment. Radiological response was assessed at a follow-up visit., Results: The clinical cure rate in clinically evaluable patients was 98% (184/188) in the clarithromycin ER group and 97% (179/185) in the amoxicillin/clavulanate group (95% CI for the difference in rates [-2.4%, 4.7%]). Clinical cure was sustained at the follow-up visit (96% for each treatment group). The pathogen eradication rates were 94% (61/65) in the clarithromycin ER group and 98% (61/62) in the amoxicillin/clavulanate group (95% CI for difference in rates [-12.0%, 2.9%]). The radiological success rate was 94% (172/183) in both the clarithromycin ER and amoxicillin/clavulanate groups (95% CI for difference in rates [-4.9%, 4.9%]). Symptomatic improvement or relief was observed as early as 2 days-5 days after the initiation of study drug, with a statistically significantly higher resolution rate of sinus pressure (p = 0.027) and improvement/resolution rate of nasal congestion (p = 0.035) during treatment with clarithromycin ER. The resolution/improvement rate at the test-of-cure visit for each treatment group was > or = 94% for the primary acute sinusitis signs/symptoms, with a statistically significantly higher resolution/improvement rate of purulent nasal discharge with clarithromycin ER (p = 0.010). Both study drugs had a positive and rapid impact on quality of life. Patients reported a high level of satisfaction and probability of using either study antibiotic again, and health care resource use was low, with slightly fewer sinusitis-related physician and outpatient visits required by patients in the clarithromycin ER group (p = 0.055). The treatment groups were comparable with respect to incidence of drug-related adverse events., Conclusion: In this multinational population of patients with acute bacterial sinusitis, clarithromycin ER was comparable, and for selected measures superior, to amoxicillin/clavulanate based on clinical, bacteriological, and radiological responses as well as quality of life measures, satisfaction with antibiotic therapy, and health care resource utilization.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of two clarithromycin formulations given for 5 days to patients with acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (ABECB)., Patients and Methods: This was a double-blind, randomized, multicenter study of ambulatory patients between 40 and 75 years of age with a medical history of chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a presumptive diagnosis of ABECB who met Anthonisen Type 1 criteria (increased dyspnea, increased sputum volume and increased sputum purulence). Eligible patients received a 5-day course of clarithromycin extended-release (ER) 500 mg once daily or clarithromycin immediate-release (IR) 250 mg twice daily. Clinical cure, bacteriological cure and pathogen eradication rates were determined at the end of therapy and at a follow-up visit., Results: Clinical cure rates were similar at the test-of-cure visit for evaluable patients in the clarithromycin ER group (97%, 298/307) and clarithromycin IR group (98%, 300/307) (95% CI (-3.2, 1.9)). The bacteriological cure rate was 89% and the pathogen eradication rate was 90% in both treatment groups. Resolution or improvement in cough, sputum production, sputum volume and sputum appearance was observed in > 90% of evaluable patients in each treatment group. The incidence of study drug-related adverse events was 6.6% (23/351) in the clarithromycin ER group and 5.4% (19/352) in the clarithromycin IR group. The most frequently occurring study drug-related adverse events were abdominal pain, diarrhea and taste perversion., Conclusion: Clarithromycin ER 500 mg once daily for 5 days is equivalent to clarithromycin IR 250 mg twice daily for 5 days in treating adults with ABECB. Both regimens were effective in resolving clinical signs and symptoms of ABECB and eradicating the target pathogens, and were well tolerated.

Objective: This study compared a short-course of clarithromycin with a standard course of penicillin V in patients with tonsillopharyngitis caused by Streptococcus pyogenes., Research Design and Methods: A total of 539 patients, aged 12-75 years, were randomized to receive either clarithromycin extended-release (ER) 500 mg once daily for 5 days or penicillin V 500 mg three times daily for 10 days in this multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group trial. Eligibility required a positive antigen test for group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) followed by confirmatory culture., Main Outcome Measures: Bacteriological and clinical assessments were conducted at each study visit (visit 1: study day 1; visit 2: study day 3; visit 3: study days 8-12; visit 4: study days 13-20; and visit 5: study days 40-50)., Results: At the test-of-cure visit (visit 3 for clarithromycin ER patients and visit 4 for penicillin V patients) in per-protocol patients, 5 days of clarithromycin ER was comparable to 10 days of penicillin V in eradicating S. pyogenes (89% (157/177) vs 90% (139/154) respectively; 95% CI for difference (-8.2, 5.1)). Bacterial eradication was sustained in both treatment groups at the follow-up visit (88% (135/153) vs 91% (112/123) respectively; 95% CI for difference (-10.0, 4.4)). Clinical cure was achieved in > or = 94% of patients in each treatment group. The most commonly reported study drug-related adverse events (< or = 3% in either treatment group) were abdominal pain, diarrhea, dyspepsia and nausea., Conclusion: Clarithromycin ER 500 mg once daily for 5 days is equally effective as penicillin V 500 mg three times daily for 10 days in the treatment of adolescent and adult patients with streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis.

Background: Macrolides and fluoroquinolones are frequently used for the empiric treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP)., Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the safety profile and efficacy of clarithromycin extended-release (ER) tablets with those of levofloxacin tablets for the treatment of CAP in ambulatory adult patients., Methods: In a Phase III, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter study, ambulatory adult patients (> or = 18 years) with signs and symptoms of CAP received a 7-day course of treatment with either clarithromycin ER (two 500-mg tablets once daily) or levofloxacin (two 250-mg tablets once daily). A diagnosis of CAP was confirmed by radiography of the chest and physical examination, and sputum samples were analyzed to identify etiologic pathogen(s). Tolerability was assessed through subjective reports of adverse events and through changes in physical findings, concomitant medications, and laboratory values., Results: There were no statistically significant differences between treatment groups in terms of sex, age, race, or body weight. The mean age was 50 years (range, 18-91 years). Of 299 patients randomized and treated, 252 were clinically evaluable (128 clarithromycin ER, 124 levofloxacin). The 95% CI for the difference between cure rates demonstrated equivalence of the 2 treatments. Among clinically evaluable patients at the test-of-cure visit, clinical cure rates were 88% (113/128) and 86% (107/124), and radiographic success rates were 95% (117/123) and 88% (104/118) for clarithromycin ER and levofloxacin, respectively. Both treatment regimens were effective in resolving and improving clinical signs and symptoms of CAP. Among clinically and bacteriologically evaluable pa- tients, bacteriologic cure rates were 86% (80/93) and 88% (85/97) for clarithromycin ER and levofloxacin, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed between the 2 treatment groups in the overall incidence of adverse events., Conclusions: Clarithromycin ER demonstrated equivalent efficacy and tolerability to the fluoroquinolone levofloxacin in a group of ambulatory adult patients with CAP. Clarithromycin ER also appeared to be safe in the population studied.

Background: Treatment guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) generally include use of a macrolide, a fluoroquinolone, or doxycycline, although there is some debate concerning the use of a fluoroquinolone., Objective: The efficacy and tolerability of a new once-daily, extended-release (ER) formulation of clarithromycin were compared with those of a fluoroquinolone, trovafloxacin, in the treatment of patients with CAP., Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group trial in which outpatients were randomized to receive 7 days of once-daily treatment with either clarithromycin ER (two 500-mg tablets) or trovafloxacin (200 mg). Eligible patients were > or = 18 years old with signs and symptoms of pneumonia, radiologic evidence of an acute infiltrate, and mild to moderate infection, as classified by the investigator., Results: One hundred seventy-six patients were randomized to study treatment. They were primarily white (88%) and equally distributed between the sexes (52% female). Their mean (+/-SD) age was 47.5 +/- 16.2 years. Results were similar between treatment groups in rates of clinical cure, microbiologic cure, bacteriologic eradication, and radiologic success at the test-of-cure visit (14-21 days posttreatment) for both the per-protocol and intent-to-treat analyses. Among clinically evaluable patients, clinical cure rates for clarithromycin ER and trovafloxacin were 87% (74/85) and 95% (63/66), respectively, and radiologic success rates were 95% (80/84) and 95% (63/66), respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between groups. In clinically and microbiologically evaluable patients, overall bacteriologic eradication rates were 89% (85/95) for clarithromycin ER and 96% (64/67) for trovafloxacin, with no significant differences between groups. Both antibiotics demonstrated high eradication rates against target microorganisms. There were no clinically meaningful differences in the incidence of specific drug-related adverse events. The majority of drug-related adverse events (>90%) were considered mild or moderate and resolved without the need for additional treatment., Conclusions: Although the study was prematurely terminated, resulting in inadequate power to demonstrate equivalence, once-daily clarithromycin ER was effective and well tolerated in the treatment of ambulatory adult (age > or = 18 years) outpatients with CAP.