[Discovery of dibekacin and its chemical aspects]

The advent of strains resistant to antibiotics in some patients has led to reorientation of research in this field. Demonstration of the mechanism involved in resistance to aminosides has resulted in the development of derivatives active against these resistant strains. Dibekacin, a new aminoside, is the first semisynthetic antibiotic of this class to be developed, and represents the first application of carbohydrate chemistry to the industry. It possesses potent activity and very weak ototoxicity.