[Eremomycin--a new antibiotic of the polycyclic glycopeptide group]

Eremomycin is a novel antibacterial antibiotic. It was isolated at the Institute of New Antibiotics, the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences from the culture fluid of actinomycete INA-238. By its physico-chemical and biological properties the antibiotic was classified as belonging to the group of polycyclic glycopeptides. Chemical structure of eremomycin was asserted and it was shown to be a new representative of the group close by its structure to vancomycin and differing from it by the carbohydrate composition and structure of tri-phenoxytriaminotricarboxylic acid. By its anti-bacterial spectrum eremomycin was found to be close to ristomycin and vancomycin. Still, its activity was 2-10 times higher. The antibiotic was several times less toxic than vancomycin. Unlike vancomycin and ristomycin, the novel antibiotic induced no tissue necrosis after its intramuscular administration. The chemotherapeutic indices of eremomycin in treatment of staphylococcal and streptococcal sepsis in albino mice exceeded 10 times those of vancomycin. At present eremomycin is under clinical trials.