Trovan Antibiotic Now Available In Canada
KIRKLAND, QC -- Jan. 19, 1999 -- Pfizer Canada Inc.'s powerful new
antibiotic, Trovan(trovafloxacin), is now available in Canada.
The drug is expected to play a major role in the treatment of community-acquired
pneumonia, a potentially-fatal lung infection which causes 7,000 deaths and affects
nearly 360,000 Canadians each year.
Pneumonia can strike at any time, but is particularly prevalent in the winter months
and can be devastating for seniors and those with other medical conditions such as
chronic bronchitis and heart disease. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is
the fifth-leading cause of death for people 65 years of age and over.
"Ninety per cent of all deaths from community-acquired pneumonia occur in
patients 60 years of age and over," said Dr. Karl Weiss, attending physician at the
department of microbiology and infectious diseases of Hôpital
Maisonneuve-Rosemont, in Montreal. "Early aggressive treatment with an
antibiotic such as Trovan is essential for these patients in order to prevent the
progression of the pneumonia and reduce the severity of the infection and
associated mortality. Using the right antibiotic early is crucial."
"In serious infections like pneumonia, it is extremely difficult to determine the
bacteria causing the infection at the time a patient presents with symptoms," said
Dr. Michel Poisson, assistant-chief at the department of microbiology and
attending microbiologist and infectious disease specialist at Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu of
Montreal. "We try and make an educated guess, however, most of the time we
are treating blind and use combinations of antibiotics to cover all likely suspects.
Trovan is an exciting advance because it allows us to use one antibiotic to cover
the likely pathogens, including the increasing number of bacteria that have become
resistant to traditional antibiotics."
Trovan is a fourth generation quinolone. It is the first antibiotic to have activity
against all four classes of pathogens. It is a once-a-day treatment taken as a tablet
or administered intravenously. Trovan's ease of use will make it possible for some
patients, who would otherwise be hospitalised, to be effectively treated in the
community. This may prevent patients from being hospitalised altogether or allow
them to be discharged earlier.
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