Cefpiramide was moderately susceptible to hydrolysis by a variety of beta-lactamases from Gram-negative bacilli. Cefpiramide inhibited non-enterococcal streptococci, methicillin-susceptible staphylococci, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis, and beta-lactamase-negative Haemophilus influenzae [1].

Cefpiramide inhibited staphylococci and streptococci and had appreciable activity against Streptococcus faecalis and Listeria moncytogenes [3]. Pharmacokinetic studies in mice showed that cefpiramide attained a peak serum concentration of 12 micrograms/ml and a serum half-life of 40 min, which are higher than attained by cefoperazone with values of 4 micrograms/ml and 18 min. These factors may have caused the combined cefpiramide-gentamicin therapy to result in significantly improved survival rates in mice as well as in higher bactericidal titers than the cefoperazone-gentamicin combination [2].