Prulifloxacin, the
prodrug of
ulifloxacin, is a broad-spectrum oral
fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent. After absorption,
prulifloxacin is metabolized by
esterases to
ulifloxacin. The
drug has a long elimination half-life, allowing once-daily administration. In vitro,
ulifloxacin is generally more active than other
fluoroquinolones against a variety of clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria, including community and nosocomial isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Proteus, Providencia and Morganella spp., Moraxella catarrhalis, Haemophilus spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Gram-positive organisms, including
methicillin- or
oxacillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp. and Streptococcus pneumoniae, are susceptible to
ulifloxacin. In well-designed clinical trials,
prulifloxacin showed good clinical and bacteriological efficacy (similar to that of
ciprofloxacin) and was generally well tolerated, demonstrating a similar tolerability profile to that of
ciprofloxacin. In conclusion, the in vitro inhibitory and bactericidal activities exhibited by
ulifloxacin and the favorable characteristics shown by its
prodrug (
prulifloxacin) in clinical trials, particularly indicate this
drug for the treatment of lung and urinary
infections.