Prulifloxacin (Generic name: Pruquin)

Prulifloxacin has a proven broad and powerful antibacterial action on both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria in the treatment of respiratory and uro-gynecological infections. Its antibacterial action proved to be highly effective both during the first infective episodes as well as in complicated and chronic infections. Prulifloxacin has a chemical structure that allows its absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and can therefore be administered orally.

Its half-life is quite long and the molecule remains in the bloodstream for about 11 hours. This characteristic allows a 600-mg tablet to be administered only once a day, for a very convenient dosing.

The active metabolite of prulifloxacin (ulifloxacin) is mostly cleared, in an unchanged form, through the urinary tract; this allows the drug to be consistently active until its clearance. In clinical trials, side effects mostly included gastrointestinal disorders, reported by only 4% of patients and almost never requiring the discontinuation of treatment.

“Adequate in males because of its spectrum, prulifloxacin is the ideal antibiotic in women: it can eradicate pathogens while respecting the residual population that should be saved in order to prevent relapses and complications in the female gender” (GIMMOC, Volume IX, Quaderno 2, 2005).

Prulifloxacin, in conclusion, is effective and tolerable in the treatment of respiratory and uro-gynecological infections, while respecting the lactobacillus vaginal microflora, reducing the risk of vaginitis (mostly due to Candida albicans) following the antibiotic therapy. Prulifloxacin, the prodrug of ulifloxacin, is a broad-spectrum oral fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent. After absorption, prulifloxacin is metabolised by esterases to ulifloxacin. The drug has a long elimination half-life, allowing once-daily administration. A Ulifloxacin is generally more active in vitro than other fluoroquinolones against a variety of clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria, including community and nosocomial isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Proteus, Providencia and Morganella spp., Moraxella catarrhalis and Haemophilus spp. The activity of ulifloxacin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa varies between countries. A Gram-positive organisms, including meticillin- or oxacillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp. and Italian community isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae are susceptible to ulifloxacin. Activity against Spanish strains of S. pneumoniae is moderate. A In well designed clinical trials, good clinical and bacteriological efficacy (similar to that of ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid or pefloxacin) was seen with prulifloxacin 600mg once daily for 10 days in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis or complicated lower urinary tract infections (UTIs), and with single-dose prulifloxacin 600mg in acute, uncomplicated lower UTIs. A Prulifloxacin was generally well tolerated in clinical trials, with a similar tolerability profile to that of ciprofloxacin.