[Bacterial infections. Progress and new prospects in chemo-antibiotic therapy]

During the last 10 years, a very large number of molecules with antibacterial activity has been developed by pharmaceutic industry. The principal objectives of pharmacological research are to obtain ever wider spectra of activity and increased antibacterial action in order to combat "emerging" agents and those resistant to traditional treatment, as well as longer acting drugs so as to improve patient compliance. These objectives might be attained by the molecules now in the phase of clinical trial, especially by the new injectable or oral cephalosporins and new fluoroquinolones.