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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 01 1997, 72-75, Vol 41, No. 1
Copyright © 1997 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Comparison of dirithromycin and penicillin for treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis

VS Watkins, M Smietana, PM Conforti, GD Sides and W Huck
Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA.

In the treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis, penicillin is the drug of choice and erythromycin is the alternative. In a double-blind, randomized study, dirithromycin, a new macrolide, was compared with penicillin for the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis. Of 121 patients who were treated with dirithromycin, 96.7% manifested a favorable clinical response, and of 136 patients treated with penicillin, 94.2% manifested a favorable clinical response. Streptococci were eradicated from the pharynges of 85.3% of 116 dirithromycin-treated patients and 82.5% of 126 penicillin-treated patients who returned for follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences in efficacy between the two groups. The incidence of abdominal symptoms was higher in dirithromycin-treated patients. Being as efficacious as penicillin and having the advantages over erythromycin of once-daily dosing and the lack of drug interactions, dirithromycin is an alternative to penicillin in the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis for patients 12 years of age and older.

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