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With antibiotic resistance among microorganisms becoming more prevalent, the identification of effective therapies will become necessary in order to provide effective treatment, especially for those patients who are susceptible to recurrent infections. The withdrawal of several large pharmaceutical companies from antibacterial research has affected the development of new antimicrobials, especially in the USA [1,2]. A recent report cited only two new drugs that have been approved in 2009 and 2010 for marketing in the USA since the Infectious Diseases Society of America's 2009 pipeline status update. Telavancin and ceftaroline fosamil were approved in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Telavancin is a lipoglycopeptide used to treat complicated skin infections and hospital or ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Gram-positive organisms. On the other hand, ceftaroline fosamil is a fifth-generation cephalosporin which is active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , and it is indicated for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections as well as community-acquired pneumonia. Neither of the drugs are recommended for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) [1].
At this time, there are very few antimicrobials in advanced development, which have potent and broad activities against Gram-negative bacteria, or bacteria that are already resistant to currently available antibacterials [3]. In light of the real possibility of reverting to a preantibiotic era, and as antibiotic-resistant bacteria, in particular the 'ESKAPE' ( Enterococcus faecium , Staphylococcus aureus , Klebsiella pneumonia , Acinetobacter baumannii , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species pathogens) continue to increase in frequency, there is no time to lose in developing new drugs and reusing forgotten drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens [1-3].
While the Infectious Diseases Society of America is committed to strengthening antibiotic public health and reserving the inventory of effective drugs [1], the incidence of UTIs requiring antimicrobial therapy is rising and so is the increasingly susceptible population, such as the elderly, leading to an increased risk of developing microbial resistance [4]. Because several older, sometimes 'forgotten' therapeutic agents are not available in many countries, the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Study Group for Antibiotic policies performed a review in 2006 which demonstrated that shortage of narrow-spectrum antimicrobial drugs forced health care providers to use antimicrobials with broader spectrum coverage [5]. The lack of profit and small volume...