High hopes for 'third generation' cephalosporins

Abstract

A wide therapeutic range, low toxicity, and strong clinical efficacy against previously hard-to-treat, antibiotic-resistant infections are the main advantages of what is now being called the third generation of cephalosporin antibiotics. Scores of papers covering the drugs' microbiologic, pharmacologic, and clinical performance were presented at the 12th International Congress of Chemotherapy in Florence, Italy. What is intriguing about these relatively new cephalosporins and their relatives is that they are able to destroy many of the Gram-negative microorganisms that are not affected by or have become resistant to the first-generation cephalosporins. In addition, through chemical modification of the basic cephalosporin molecular structure, the third-generation drugs are able to sidestep most of the β lactamase enzymes, which have allowed microorganisms to neutralize the effects of many of the first- and second-generation agents. Currently, the only member of the new cephalosporin family on the American market is cefotaxime, developed by Hoechst-Roussel Pharmaceuticals, Inc,