9th Grant

I participated in the 68th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy held in Kobe, Hyogo, and gave an oral presentation titled "Efficacy and Safety Evaluation of Metronidazole and Vancomycin for Clostridioides difficile Infection."

In Japan's clinical practice guidelines for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), metronidazole (MNZ) is recommended as the first-line drug for non-severe cases and vancomycin (VCM) for severe cases. In the United States, however, VCM and fidaxomicin are the first-line drugs regardless of severity.

In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of MNZ and VCM for CDI. The results showed no difference in efficacy between MNZ and VCM. Regarding safety, only the incidence of nausea was higher with MNZ. This incidence was higher in women, and the age of onset of nausea was lower compared to the group without nausea. Therefore, the domestic guidelines recommending MNZ as the first-line drug for non-severe cases can be supported, and it was suggested that the use of VCM should be considered in cases where MNZ may cause nausea.

The Japanese Society of Chemotherapy brings together many people involved in the treatment and research of infectious diseases, and it was a valuable opportunity to receive various opinions and have discussions from the perspectives of clinical practice and other research. I was also able to gain the latest knowledge by listening to presentations and lectures by other researchers and clinicians. I would like to use this experience to fuel my future research. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Sato Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for their generous support in attending the conference.

(Kana Misawa, First-year, Doctoral Programs, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)

I gave an oral presentation at the 68th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy titled "Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Tedizolid in Mice."

In recent years, infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria have been on the rise worldwide, including in Japan. Among these, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are reported to be particularly difficult to treat and have a high mortality rate. Tedizolid (TZD) is a new therapeutic agent for MRSA infections that shows efficacy comparable to linezolid, with reduced side effects such as thrombocytopenia. However, its pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) evaluation regarding its efficacy is still insufficient. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a PK/PD evaluation of TZD using a neutropenic murine thigh MRSA infection model to enhance the evidence for the further appropriate use of tedizolid.

Having been given the opportunity to present at the Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, I was able to disseminate our research findings to practitioners and researchers at this conference, which brought together many healthcare professionals and infectious disease experts active in clinical practice. Furthermore, by discussing our research with various researchers at this conference, I was able to absorb new perspectives and receive feedback from experts in other fields, which will lead to the further development of our research.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to Sato Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for their generous support.

(Xiaoqian Liu, Second-year, Doctoral Programs, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)

I gave an oral presentation on the PK/PD analysis of Cefditoren at the 68th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy held in Kobe, Hyogo.

Cefditoren is a third-generation oral cephalosporin antibiotic with low bioavailability and high protein binding. Its usual dose of 300 mg per day is small compared to injectable antibiotics, raising concerns about the development of resistant bacteria. However, guidelines recommend it as a first-line drug for pneumonia caused by Haemophilus influenzae, and there is a need to establish a dosing regimen based on scientific evidence using PK/PD theory.

I conducted a PK/PD study of Cefditoren in a pneumococcal murine thigh infection model and presented that it has high in vitro antibacterial activity against Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. I also reported that in vivo, despite being a β-lactam drug that generally exhibits concentration-dependent efficacy, a correlation was observed with AUC/MIC/τ, and that to be effective, the dosing regimen needs to be designed for frequent administration with a high total dose.

I believe these research findings will serve as important evidence for promoting the appropriate use of antibiotics. Furthermore, by listening to the presentations of other experts, I was able to learn about original ideas and research techniques, which greatly broadened my perspective. I also feel that I was able to clarify future challenges and research areas I want to focus on.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to Sato Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for their generous support, which enabled me to successfully present at the conference.

(Yuki Igarashi, Second-year, Doctoral Programs, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)

I participated in the 68th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy held in Hyogo, where I gave two oral presentations: "PK/PD Evaluation of Flomoxef against ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in a Neutropenic Murine Thigh Infection Model" in a general session, and "Oxacephem Antibiotics" in a symposium.

Infections caused by ESBL (extended-spectrum beta-lactamase)-producing Escherichia coli have a high detection rate and are a major global threat as a resistant bacterial infection. I focused on the oxacephem antibiotic flomoxef (FMOX) and conducted a pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) study against ESBL-producing E. coli using a murine thigh infection model. This study clarified the optimal PK/PD parameters and target values for FMOX against ESBL-producing E. coli. In the symposium, under the title "Oxacephem Antibiotics," I presented the characteristics and usage of oxacephem antibiotics, including FMOX, as well as a new treatment method for ESBL-producing E. coli infections in humans, including specific dosage and administration of FMOX based on our research findings.

I received many questions and comments from physicians and pharmacists in clinical practice, which allowed me to reaffirm the significance of this research and its future direction. I intend to further develop this research based on the feedback I received. It was also a valuable experience to broaden my knowledge of infectious diseases by listening to the presentations of other experts. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Sato Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for providing the research grant for this conference presentation.

(Wataru Tashiro, Second-year, Doctoral Programs, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)