New therapeutic agents for resistant Gram-positive infections

Gram-positive bacteria are an increasingly common cause of community acquired and nosocomial infections, and their resistance to antibiotics is increasing. The recent reports from several continents of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with reduced glycopeptide-susceptibility is of grave concern. New agents are required to meet these threats and several classes of compounds are under development. This review focuses on agents that have been recently licensed or are presently in clinical development for the treatment of serious multidrug-resistant staphylococcal, enterococcal and pneumococcal infections, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci.