Activity of Benzimidazole (SPR719) Against Clinical Isolates of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria With and Without Clarithromycin or Amikacin Resistance.

Limited data are available regarding the activity of SPR719, a derivative of benzimidazole, against diverse nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species. We investigated the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of SPR719 against clinical NTM isolates, including clarithromycin- and amikacin-resistant strains. NTM isolates were obtained from patients with NTM-pulmonary disease caused by various NTM species, including complex, (subspecies and ), , and . Regardless of clarithromycin or amikacin resistance, the MIC and MBC values of SPR719 were comparable among these major pathogenic NTM species. In over 70% of the isolates, the MIC values were ≤2 μg/mL with MBC values of ≤4 μg/mL. The MIC and MBC values of were relatively lower than those of the other species with little difference between them, demonstrating the bactericidal properties of SPR719. The activity of SPR719 against major clinical NTM species suggests that SPR719 can serve as a novel treatment option for NTM-pulmonary disease.