A pooled analysis of telithromycin in the treatment of community-acquired respiratory tract infections in adults

Thirteen multinational, Phase III studies were conducted to establish the efficacy of telithromycin 800 mg once daily in the treatment of community-acquired respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Data were analyzed from 4,743 adult patients participating across four indications: community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) of mild to moderate severity, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB), acute maxillary sinusitis (AMS) and tonsillitis/pharyngitis. Treatment with telithromycin for either 5 days (AECB, AMS and tonsillitis/pharyngitis) or 7-10 days (CAP and AMS) provided high rates of clinical and bacteriologic cure (5-day, 87.0% and 86.0%, respectively; 7 to 10-days, 90.3% and 90.5%, respectively) that were equivalent to those of a 10-day course of comparator antibacterials (86.5% and 86.5%, respectively). The clinical efficacy of telithromycin extended to high-risk CAP and AECB patients and to all key respiratory pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae strains resistant to penicillin or erythromycin and atypical/intracellular pathogens. Telithromycin was generally well-tolerated across patient groups. These findings support the use of telithromycin as an effective therapy for the treatment of community-acquired RTIs.