In vitro activity of dirithromycin (LY 237216) compared with activities of other macrolide antibiotics

Dirithromycin inhibited Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and other hemolytic streptococci at concentrations of less than or equal to 0.03 to 0.12 micrograms/ml, with 90% inhibition at 0.12 micrograms/ml, which is comparable to results using erythromycin. Group A streptococci, listeriae, and enterococci resistant to erythromycin were resistant to dirithromycin. Erythromycin-susceptible staphylococci were inhibited by 0.5 micrograms/ml, but for erythromycin-resistant isolates MICs were greater than or equal to 8 micrograms/ml. For Haemophilus influenzae, MICs were greater than or equal to 8 micrograms/ml, two- to fourfold greater than for erythromycin. The activity of dirithromycin against staphylococci and streptococci was not decreased by the addition of human serum.