Ceftaroline versus vancomycin in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in an experimental MRSA meningitis model

•MRSA is an important cause of nosocomial meningitis, with limited treatment options.•Limited data exist on ceftaroline, for therapy of meningitis.•Herein, we compared ceftaroline with vancomycin in an experimental rabbit model.•Ceftaroline and vancomycin had similar activity for experimental MRSA meningitis. The aim of this study was to compare the antibacterial activity of ceftaroline versus vancomycin in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) meningitis in an experimental rabbit meningitis model. The antibacterial activity of ceftaroline was compared with vancomycin in the treatment of meningitis induced by MRSA strain ATCC 43300 in an experimental rabbit meningitis model. Quantitative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures were performed at the beginning of antibiotic treatment and 24h and 73h after the first antibiotic dose. Furthermore, in vitro time–kill data were investigated at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24h in sterile human serum. The difference between the control group versus both treatment groups was significant when comparing the decrease in colony counts in CSF both at 24h and 73h after the first antibiotic dose (P