The antibacterial action of moxifloxacin results from inhibition of the topoisomerase II (DNA gyrase) and topoisomerase IV. DNA gyrase is an essential enzyme that is involved in the replication, transcription and repair of bacterial DNA. Topoisomerase IV is an enzyme known to play a key role in the partitioning of the chromosomal DNA during bacterial cell division.
The mechanism of action for quinolones, including moxifloxacin, is different from that of macrolides, aminoglycosides, or tetracyclines. Therefore, moxifloxacin may be active against pathogens that are resistant to these antibiotics and these antibiotics may be active against pathogens that are resistant to moxifloxacin. There is no cross-resistance between moxifloxacin and the aforementioned classes of antibiotics. Cross resistance has been observed between systemic moxifloxacin and some other quinolones.
In vitro resistance to moxifloxacin develops via multiple-step mutations. Resistance to moxifloxacin occurs in vitro at a general frequency of between 1.8 x 10-9 to less than 1 x 10-11 for Gram-positive bacteria.
Moxifloxacin has been shown to be active against most strains of the following microorganisms, both in vitro and in clinical infections as described in the Indications and Usage section:
Aerobic Gram-positive microorganisms:
Corynebacterium species*
Micrococcus luteus*
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Staphylococcus haemolyticus
Staphylococcus hominis
Staphylococcus warneri*
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Streptococcus viridans group
Aerobic Gram-negative microorganisms:
Acinetobacter lwoffii*
Haemophilus influenzae
Haemophilus parainfluenzae*
Other microorganisms:
Chlamydia trachomatis
*Efficacy for this organism was studied in fewer than 10 infections.
The following invitro data are also available, but their clinical significance in ophthalmic infections is unknown. The safety and effectiveness of moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution in treating ophthalmological infections due to these microorganisms have not been established in adequate and well-controlled trials.
The following organisms are considered susceptible when evaluated using systemic breakpoints. However, a correlation between the invitro systemic breakpoint and ophthalmological efficacy has not been established. The list of organisms is provided as guidance only in assessing the potential treatment of conjunctival infections.
Moxifloxacin exhibits invitro minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 2 microgram/mL or less (systemic susceptible breakpoint) against most (greater than or equal to 90%) strains of the following ocular pathogens.
Aerobic Gram-positive microorganisms:
Listeria monocytogenes
Staphylococcus saprophyticus
Streptococcus agalactiae
Streptococcus mitis
Streptococcus pyogenes
Streptococcus Group C, G and F
Aerobic Gram-negative microorganisms:
Acinetobacter baumannii
Acinetobacter calcoaceticus
Citrobacter freundii
Citrobacter koseri
Enterobacter aerogenes
Enterobacter cloacae
Escherichia coli
Klebsiella oxytoca
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Moraxella catarrhalis
Morganella morganii
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Proteus mirabilis
Proteus vulgaris
Pseudomonas stutzeri
Anaerobic microorganisms:
Clostridium perfringens
Fusobacterium species
Prevotella species
Propionibacterium acnes
Other microorganisms:
Chlamydia pneumoniae
Legionella pneumophila
Mycobacterium avium
Mycobacterium marinum
Mycoplasma pneumoniae