Tigecycline: First class glycylcycline: a new choice for empiric therapy

The first marketed glycylcycline antibacterial agent, tigecycline (Tygacil™, Wyeth Research), received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2005 for use in patients with complicated skin and skin-structure infections and complicated intra-abdominal infections. As an expanded broad-spectrum agent with Gram-negative and Gram-positive coverage, including resistant pathogens, tigecycline has arrived at a crucial time and will provide an excellent option for empiric use in the clinic.

Section editors:Gary Woodnutt – CovX, San Diego, USAPaul-Henri Lambert – Centre of Vaccinology, University of Geneva, Switzerland