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. 2005 May;66(3):139–153. doi: 10.1016/j.curtheres.2005.06.008

Ketolides in the treatment of community-acquired respiratory tract infections: A review

Martin S Lipsky 1,**
PMCID: PMC3964523  PMID: 24672119

Abstract

Background:

The increasing prevalence of resistance to established antibiotics among key respiratory bacterial pathogens highlights a need for new antibacterial agents for the treatment of community-acquired respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Ketolides are a new class of antibiotics specifically developed for the treatment of RTIs.

Objective:

The aim of this review was to present the current status of treatment of RTIs with ketolides, focusing on telithromycin—the first ketolide to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for clinical use.

Methods:

To gather evidence on the current status of ketolides, a literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (years: 1990–2005; key terms: ketolides, telithromycin, and HMR3647).

Results:

Telithromycin shows strong in vitro activity against the major respiratorypathogens, including strains resistant to other antibiotics, as well as the atypical respiratory pathogens. The pharmacokinetic properties of telithromycin are compatible with once-daily dosing. Clinical trials have demonstrated that telithromycin 800 mg QD for 5 to 10 days is effective in the treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis, acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, and mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia. Overall, telithromycin is well tolerated by patients. Drug-drug interactions are similar to those reported for macrolides.

Conclusion:

Evidence to date indicates that telithromycin is an effective andwell-tolerated empiric treatment for community-acquired RTIs.

Key words: respiratory tract infections, antibiotics, ketolides, telithromycin

Full Text

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