Evaluation of New Anti-Infective Drugs for the Treatment of Vaginal Infections

The three major vaginal infections are yeast vulvovaginitis, Trichomonas vaginalis vaginitis, and bacterial vaginosis. In terms of signs and symptoms, these disorders overlap substantially with one another and with other infections. Therefore, the diagnosis of candidiasis and trichomoniasis requires isolation of the responsible pathogen. For the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis, all other potential causes of vaginal infection must be excluded and specified laboratory criteria must be met. Clinical trials must be carefully designed to control for coexisting pathogens, for potential efficacy of treatment against more than one microbe, and for variable end points used to define clinical response. Prospective, randomized, double-blind, active-control comparative studies are preferred. Follow-up evaluations 5-7 days and 4-6 weeks after the completion of therapy are required for the assessment of outcome. Laboratory studies of vaginal fluid (culture and/or microscopic examination) are paramount in the final appraisal of outcome.