meropenem + bacillus calmette-guerin

The name **meropenem + bacillus calmette-guerin** appears to be a misnomer for **MER-BCG** (Methanol Extraction Residue of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin). Meropenem is a carbapenem antibiotic, whereas MER-BCG is a nonviable, immunostimulatory fraction of the BCG vaccine. The provided context describes clinical investigations of MER-BCG in patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (referred to as non-oat cell lung cancer). In these studies, MER-BCG was administered via oral, intradermal, intralesional, and intravenous routes to evaluate its ability to stimulate the immune system and exert anti-neoplastic effects. While the treatment was reported to be well-tolerated and capable of converting PPD skin test reactivity in some patients, it did not result in significant tumor regression in the studied cohort. MER-BCG was primarily researched in the 1970s and 1980s as a non-specific immunotherapy but is not currently a standard clinical treatment.

Other names

MER-BCGMethanol Extraction Residue of BCGMER