Fleroxacin is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial fluoroquinolone. Target: Antibacterial Fleroxacin (Ro 23-6240; AM-833) is a new trifluorinated quinolone exhibiting high activity against a broad spectrum of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Fleroxacin is characterized pharmacokinetically by a long elimination half-life (9 to 10 h) and high concentrations in plasma (e.g., maximum concentration of 2.3 micrograms/ml after an oral dose of 200 mg) [1]. Fleroxacin is effective against Haemophilus ducreyi in vitro. Fleroxacin, 200 or 400 mg as a single oral dose, is efficacious therapy for microbiologically proven chancroid in patients who do not have concurrent HIV-1 infection. Among HIV-1-infected men, a single dose of 200 or 400 mg of fleroxacin is inadequate therapy for chancroid [2, 3].

• [1]. Weidekamm, E., et al., Single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of fleroxacin, a trifluorinated quinolone, in humans. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1987. 31(12): p. 1909-14.

  [2]. MacDonald, K.S., et al., Evaluation of fleroxacin (RO 23-6240) as single-oral-dose therapy of culture-proven chancroid in Nairobi, Kenya. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1989. 33(5): p. 612-4.

  [3]. Rubinstein, E., History of quinolones and their side effects. Chemotherapy, 2001. 47 Suppl 3: p. 3-8; discussion 44-8.