Moxifloxacin

Research summary

In healthy human volunteers, moxifloxacin has been extensively studied to characterize its pharmacokinetics, safety, tolerability, and cardiac electrophysiologic effects. Single oral doses from 50 to 800 mg in phase I studies have shown dose‑proportional increases in exposure with good short‑term tolerability, minimal gastrointestinal complaints, and no serious adverse events in carefully screened participants. Bioequivalence trials have demonstrated that generic formulations can match the reference product in maximum concentration and overall exposure in fasting healthy adults. Beyond pharmacokinetics, controlled crossover studies in healthy subjects have quantified the degree of QTc prolongation at therapeutic and supratherapeutic doses, supporting its use as a positive control in thorough QT studies. Overall, the research consensus is that moxifloxacin is effective as an antibiotic and is generally safe when used short‑term in appropriate patients, but it carries well‑documented risks (including QT prolongation and rare but serious musculoskeletal and neurologic events) that preclude its use as a wellness or performance supplement.