[New antibiotics: small or big advances?]

This contribution summarizes the "state-of-the-art" in the field of new antibiotics. On the one hand interesting new substances are discussed, on the other hand areas of interest for more research are shown. Doripenem is a new broad-spectrum antibiotic which proved superior to other carbapenems as far as gram-negative bacilli were concerned and also showed less development of resistance. For the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), linezolid, tigecyclin and daptomycin reached drug approval within recent years. The new glycopeptides and iclaprim await approval. The majority of these substances are also effective against other resistant organisms like vancomycin-intermediate Staph. aureus and vancomycin-resistant entercoccus. Increasing virulence of some Clostridium difficile strains (particularly ribotype 027) within the past years has led to a growing need for new strategies concerning treatment and prophylaxis of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea.