Investigational treatments for postoperative surgical site infections.
Surgical site infections rank third among nosocomial infections, representing a global threat, associated with the emergence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria. The pharmaceutical industry has recently curtailed developmental programmes; however, the need for new compounds is extremely important. This article reviews new antimicrobials and immunointerventional targets for their potential to treat surgical site infections in comparison with recently licensed compounds. Daptomycin, dalbavancin, oritavancin, telavancin, iclaprim and ranbezolid seem to be promising agents against infections caused by Gram-positive pathogens and effectively address the present problems of multi-resistance in Gram-positive infections. Peptide deformylase inhibitors and immunostimulating agents open new perspectives in this field; however, very few compounds targeting Gram-negative problematic pathogens are in the pipeline of the future. Tigecycline (recently marketed) ceftobiprole, ceftaroline and doripenem seem to possess an extended anti-Gram-positive and -negative spectrum. Among these compounds, only doripenem demonstrates activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, for which there is a clear unmet need for new compounds, focusing on new targets.
Poulakou
Garyphallia
G
University General Hospital Attikon, 4th Department of Internal Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 1 Rimini Street, 12462 Athens, Greece. gpoul@med.uoa.gr
Giamarellou
Helen
H
D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000502:physiology; D015507:Drugs, Investigational / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015507:Drugs, Investigational