In-vitro studies with ramoplanin (MDL 62,198): a novel lipoglycopeptide antimicrobial.

Ramoplanin is a novel lipoglycopeptide antimicrobial complex, isolated from the fermentation products of a strain of Actinoplanes sp. (ATCC 33076), which comprises three closely related polypeptides, each containing chlorinated phenyl moieties and D-mannose. The in-vitro activity of ramoplanin was compared with those of vancomycin and teicoplanin. Ramoplanin was very active against Staphylococcus spp., irrespective of methicillin susceptibility, with all isolates inhibited by 1 mg/l or less. Concentrations of vancomycin and teicoplanin required to inhibit the same population of bacteria were 4 and 16 mg/l, respectively. Ramoplanin was also very active against Streptococcus spp. (alpha- and beta-haemolytic species, Str. pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecalis, Corynebacterium spp. (including Cory. jeikeium), Listeria monocytogenes, Gardnerella vaginalis, Propionibacterium acnes and Gram-positive anaerobic bacteria, with all isolates inhibited by 2 mg/l, or less. In general, the activity of ramoplanin against these species was either equal to or only slightly less than teicoplanin and equal to or somewhat greater than vancomycin. With the exception of Bacteroides melaninogenicus and Bact. bivius, ramoplanin was not active against Gram-negative bacteria.