MRSA Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about MRSA, including details on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

New oxazolidinones.

Vara Prasad J

Pfizer Global Research and Development, Michigan Laboratories, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, United States.

Due to the emergence of resistance to known antibiotics to various organisms, for example, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococci, and Pseudomonas there is a renewed interest in the discovery of new antibacterials. Oxazolidinones, totally synthetic class of novel antibacterials, possess activity against drug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens, especially MRSA. Linezolid, the first approved drug from this class, has shown a great promise in saving lives of many patients by acting against drug-resistant Gram-positive organisms. However, its use is somewhat limited because of its myelotoxicity when used long term (>21 days). Various research groups are active in this area either to improve myelotoxicity profile of linezolid or to expand the spectrum of activity of linezolid. In spite of active research in this area, the discovery of an oxazolidinone possessing improved myelotoxicity compared to linezolid, linezolid-like efficacy, and PK remains challenging.

Published 12 November 2007 in Curr Opin Microbiol, 10(5): 454-60.
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