Tag: Telithromycin

First approved in 2004, Ketek (telithromycin) was a new class of antibiotic known as a ketolide, designed to combat resistance to older macrolide drugs. However, its history was marked by significant safety concerns, especially related to serious and sometimes fatal liver damage, which ultimately led to its removal from the market.

In 2004, Ketek (telithromycin) received U.S. FDA approval as the first drug in a new class of antibiotics known as ketolides. This initial excitement was short-lived, however, as subsequent safety controversies led to its eventual withdrawal from the U.S. market.

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens, particularly those causing respiratory tract infections, drove the development of new antibacterial agents. This need led to the creation of ketolides, a newer class of drugs specifically engineered to overcome the resistance mechanisms that affect older macrolide antibiotics.

Developed in the late 1990s to combat the growing issue of macrolide resistance, ketolide drugs are a subclass of antibiotics derived from erythromycin A. These semi-synthetic compounds were engineered with unique structural modifications to enhance their activity and binding affinity to bacterial ribosomes, particularly against resistant strains.

Ketolides are a class of antibiotics that were developed in response to growing bacterial resistance to macrolide antibiotics. These semi-synthetic derivatives of erythromycin were initially introduced to provide a powerful new weapon against respiratory pathogens. The primary ketolide, telithromycin (brand name Ketek), has a complex history that significantly impacts the answer to the question: **What are ketolides used for?**