Curr Opin Invest Dr
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Curr Opin Invest Dr · Feb 2008
ReviewMultidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections: the emerging threat and potential novel treatment options.
Gram-negative bacterial infections constitute an emerging threat because of the development of multidrug-resistant organisms. There is a relative shortage of new drugs in the antimicrobial development pipeline that have been tested in vitro and evaluated in clinical studies. Antibiotics that are in the pipeline for the treatment of serious Gram-negative bacterial infections include the cephalosporins, ceftobiprole, ceftarolin and FR-264205. ⋯ New pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data are available regarding the use of these agents. Finally, antimicrobial peptides and efflux pump inhibitors are two new classes of agents under development. This review of investigational antibiotics shows that several new agents will become available in the coming years, even though the pace of antimicrobial research is far from ideal.