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Antibiotic resistance: where do ketolides fit?
1College of Pharmacy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, 29425-2303, USA.
Pharmacotherapy
|January 17, 2002
Summary
New ketolide antibiotics, like telithromycin, are effective against resistant respiratory pathogens. They offer a crucial new treatment option for community-acquired respiratory tract infections, especially where resistance is high.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance in respiratory pathogens is a growing public health concern.
- Existing treatments are becoming less effective against resistant strains like Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce ketolides, a novel antibiotic class, as a solution to rising antibiotic resistance.
- To evaluate telithromycin's efficacy against common respiratory pathogens, including resistant strains.
Main Methods:
- Clinical evaluation of telithromycin, the first in the ketolide class.
- Assessment of novel structural modifications conferring broad-spectrum activity and resistance mitigation.
Main Results:
- Ketolides demonstrate activity against respiratory pathogens regardless of beta-lactam or macrolide susceptibility.
- These agents are designed to minimize the emergence of new resistance.
Conclusions:
- Telithromycin and other ketolides represent promising new options for empiric treatment of respiratory infections.
- They are particularly valuable in regions with high rates of macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae.