• Microbiologic eradication of bacteria at posttherapy visit
  

• Clinical response rates based upon signs and symptoms at posttherapy and poststudy; microbiologic eradication of bacteria at poststudy; Incidence of adverse events, changes in physical examinations, vital signs, laboratory tests
  

Prostatitis (an inflammation of the prostate) is the most common condition affecting the urinary system in men under 50 years of age. Symptoms of chronic (long-term) prostatitis may include urgency to urinate, frequency or difficulty in urinating or abdominal, pelvic, or rectal pain. A frequent cause of prostatitis is bacterial infection, treatable with antibiotics. This multicenter, double-blind study evaluates the safety and effectiveness of levofloxacin as compared to ciprofloxacin in patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis. Patients receive treatment with either levofloxacin or ciprofloxacin for 28 days and are evaluated during treatment and 5-12 days after the last dose of study drug (posttherapy visit), and 1 month after the last dose (poststudy visit). Patients are contacted six months after the last dose to follow up on the potential recurrence of their prostatitis. Effectiveness is assessed by measuring the ability of the study drug to eliminate bacteria causing prostatitis and to reduce the signs and symptoms of chronic prostatitis. Laboratory tests for presence of bacteria are performed throughout the study and at each visit, patients are questioned as to the relief of their symptoms. Safety evaluations (incidence of adverse events, physical examinations, laboratory tests) are performed throughout the study. The study hypothesis is that levofloxacin is at least as effective as ciprofloxacin in treating chronic bacterial prostatitis without any significant safety issues being observed.

Levofloxacin 500 milligrams (mg) by mouth once daily or ciprofloxacin 500 mg by mouth twice daily for 28 days