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Published on: March 2, 2020
Oxazolidinones: a new class of antibacterials
G E Zurenko1, J K Gibson, D L Shinabarger
1Discovery Research, Pharmacia, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA. gary.e.zurenko@pharmacia.com
Abstract:
The oxazolidinones represent the first truly new class of antibacterial agents to reach the marketplace in several decades. They have a unique mechanism of action involving inhibition of the initiation step of protein synthesis and are not cross-resistant to other classes of antibiotics. The first marketed member of that class, linezolid (Zyvox), shows good efficacy with an impressive antibacterial spectrum (including activity against gram-positive organisms resistant to other drugs), and a pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic relationship best characterized by time above the minimum inhibitory concentration. The agent is effective by both the intravenous and oral route of administration. Although technically classified as bacteriostatic against a number of pathogens in vitro, linezolid behaves in vivo like a bactericidal antibiotic.
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