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New agents for Gram-positive bacteria.
1Clinical Pharmacokinetics Laboratory, Kaleida Health/Millard Fillmore Hospital and School of Pharmacy, State University of New York-Buffalo, NY, USA.
Current Opinion in Microbiology
|October 26, 2000
Summary
Two novel antimicrobial agents, quinupristin/dalfopristin and linezolid, offer new hope against dangerous multi-resistant Gram-positive infections. New fluoroquinolones also provide options for treating resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Multiple-resistant Gram-positive organisms pose a significant and growing global health threat.
- Existing treatments are becoming less effective due to widespread antimicrobial resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the emergence and importance of new antimicrobial agents for combating resistant Gram-positive infections.
- To introduce quinupristin/dalfopristin and linezolid as novel therapeutic options.
- To discuss the role of new fluoroquinolones in treating infections caused by resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Main Methods:
- Review of recently approved antimicrobial agents.
- Analysis of their specific targets and applications.
- Discussion of their potential impact on clinical practice.
Main Results:
- Quinupristin/dalfopristin and linezolid have been approved in the USA for treating life-threatening infections.
- These agents are specifically designed to target multi-resistant Gram-positive organisms.
- New fluoroquinolones are becoming available to address resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains.
Conclusions:
- The introduction of quinupristin/dalfopristin and linezolid represents a significant advancement in managing difficult-to-treat Gram-positive infections.
- These new drugs, along with emerging fluoroquinolones, are expected to play a crucial role in combating antimicrobial resistance worldwide.