After oral administration fleroxacin is rapidly and well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and shows a good bioavailability. The antibiotic is widely distributed throughout the body and in the different biological tissues. In many biologic specimens the levels of fleroxacin are similar to those in plasma, but in bile, nasal secretions, seminal fluid, lung, bronchial mucosa, and ovaries, the drug concentrations are 2-3 times higher than those in plasma.[7]
The serum elimination half-life, in subjects with normal renal function, is relatively long (9–12 hours), which permits once-daily dosing.
Approximately the urinary excretion is 38% of an orally administered dose within 48 h, and in urine is possible detect 8.6% of the N-demethyl metabolite and 4.4% of the N-oxide metabolite. Fleroxacin can penetrate into milk of nursing women. As quinolones are known to induce arthropathy in juvenile animals, administration of the drug to breast-feeding women cannot be allowed.[8]
Medical uses
Fleroxacin is effective in the treatment of a wide variety of infections, particularly uncomplicated cystitis in women, acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis, gonorrhea, bacterial enteritis, traveler's diarrhea, respiratory tract infections ( including exacerbation of chronic bronchitis).[9][10]
Fleroxacin is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to the substance or any other member of the quinolone class, or any component of the medicine. Fleroxacin, like other fluoroquinolones, can cause degenerative changes in weightbearing joints of young animals. The antibiotic should only be used in children when the expected benefits are outweigh the risks.
^Asahina Y, Iwase K, Iinuma F, Hosaka M, Ishizaki T (May 2005). "Synthesis and antibacterial activity of 1-(2-fluorovinyl)-7-substituted-4-quinolone-3-carboxylic acid derivatives, conformationally restricted analogues of fleroxacin". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 48 (9): 3194–202. CiteSeerX10.1.1.628.8159. doi:10.1021/jm0402061. PMID15857125.
^Weidekamm E, Portmann R (March 1993). "Penetration of fleroxacin into body tissues and fluids". The American Journal of Medicine. 94 (3A): 75S –80S. doi:10.1016/S0002-9343(20)31142-6. PMID8452186.
^Kimura M, Kawada A, Kobayashi T, Hiruma M, Ishibashi A (January 1996). "Photosensitivity induced by fleroxacin". Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. 21 (1): 46–7. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2230.1996.d01-158.x (inactive 9 December 2024). PMID8689769.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of December 2024 (link)
^Taga F, Kobayashi F, Saito S, Ooie T, Kawahara F, Uchida H, Shimada J, Hori S, Sakai O (August 1990). "Possibility for induction of convulsion by fleroxacin and its disposition in the central nervous system in animals". Arzneimittel-Forschung. 40 (8): 900–4. PMID2173611.
^Kimura M, Fujiyama J, Nagai A, Hirayama M, Kuriyama M (September 1998). "[Encephalopathy induced by fleroxacin in a patient with Machado-Joseph disease]". Rinsho Shinkeigaku (in Japanese). 38 (9): 846–8. PMID10078039.