Levofloxacin or Moxifloxacin for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis?

In a small, prospective trial conducted in South Korea, 88% of levofloxacin-group patients and 91% of moxifloxacin-group patients had a 3-month sputum conversion to negative.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a growing problem worldwide, with an estimated 650,000 cases in 2010. Treatment lasts ≥2 years and involves use of second-line drugs that are less effective and more toxic than the first-line agents generally used for TB. The fluoroquinolones levofloxacin (LFX) and moxifloxacin (MFX) have become mainstays in the treatment of MDR-TB, but whether one of them is superior to the other remains unclear.

To explore this issue, investigators in South Korea conducted a multicenter, stratified, open-label, randomized trial comparing LFX (750 mg once daily) to MFX (400 mg once daily) — each in combination with a background regimen — among patients with MDR-TB. The primary end-point was sputum conversion to n…

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

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Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Levofloxacin or Moxifloxacin for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis?

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Reviewing Author