Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

07:50
Assay Development for High-Throughput Drug Screening Against Mycobacteria
Published on: October 25, 2024
The pleuromutilin antibiotics: a new class for human use
1Nabriva Therapeutics AG, Leberstrasse 20, 1110 Vienna, Austria. Rodger.novak@nabriva.com
Summary
Pleuromutilin antibiotics, discovered in 1950, are advancing for human systemic therapy. New derivatives show potent activity against common pathogens, suitable for oral and IV delivery.
Area of Science:
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Microbiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Pleuromutilins are a class of natural-product antibiotics discovered in 1950.
- Tiamulin (1979) and valnemulin (1999) were approved for veterinary use.
- Retapamulin, approved in 2007, marked the first human pleuromutilin but is limited to topical use.
Observation:
- Recent lead optimization has yielded pleuromutilin derivatives with potent antibacterial activity and favorable pharmaceutical properties.
- These novel compounds are suitable for oral and intravenous administration.
- The antibacterial spectrum of most pleuromutilins covers common pathogens causing skin and respiratory tract infections.
Findings:
- Two new pleuromutilin compounds, BC-3205 and BC-7013, have advanced to clinical trials.
- Modifications, particularly at the C(14) side chain, are key to developing these derivatives.
- These derivatives exhibit potential for systemic therapy in humans.
Implications:
- The development of orally and intravenously deliverable pleuromutilins offers new therapeutic options for bacterial infections.
- These advancements address the limitations of earlier topical-only pleuromutilins.
- Further research and clinical trials are crucial to establish the efficacy and safety of these novel systemic antibiotics.
Related Concept Videos
Anthelminthic Agents
Anthelmintic drugs differ significantly from antiparasitic therapies targeting protozoa, primarily due to differences in parasite biology. Whereas most protozoal treatments act on proliferating cells, anthelmintics are typically directed against mature, nonproliferative helminths. The therapeutic approach considers the helminth's reliance on neuromuscular coordination, glucose metabolism, and microtubular integrity for survival, reproduction, and localization within the host. Most anthelmintics...
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA
Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and acquisition...
Inhibitors of Gram-positive Cell Wall Synthesis
Bacterial cell walls are typically rigid structures composed mainly of peptidoglycan, a mesh-like polymer that provides mechanical strength and maintains cell shape. The synthesis of peptidoglycan is a crucial process in bacterial growth and serves as a primary target for many antibiotics.Mechanism of Action of Beta-Lactam AntibioticsBeta-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillin, inhibit peptidoglycan synthesis in actively growing cells. These antibiotics share a characteristic four-membered...
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...
Inhibitors of Bacterial Protein Synthesis
Aminoglycosides constitute a highly potent class of bactericidal antibiotics that exert their antimicrobial effects by targeting the bacterial ribosome, specifically disrupting protein synthesis. These polycationic molecules consist of amino-modified sugars linked via glycosidic bonds to an aminocyclitol core such as 2-deoxystreptamine or streptamine. Their strong positive charges facilitate tight binding to the negatively charged phosphate backbone of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), primarily at the 16S...
