Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ball, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ball, P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2000) 46, 17-24
© 2000 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Quinolone generations: natural history or natural selection?

Peter Ball*

University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, UK

The quinolones have evolved from antibacterial agents with a limited spectrum of predominantly anti-Gram-negative antimicrobial activity and a restricted number of indications to a class of widely used oral (and, in some cases, intravenous) antibiotics with extensive indications for infections caused by many bacterial pathogens in most body tissues and fluids. This evolutionary pattern has arisen through the development of new core and side-chain structures, with associated improvements in activity, pharmacokinetics and tolerability, and through the selection of molecules that remain useful and well tolerated. This review describes the progress of the quinolones from the first to the third (IIIa and IIIb) generations. Special attention is given to gemifloxacin, currently the most developmentally advanced third-generation quinolone, which has enhanced in vitro Gram-positive antimicrobial activity and no troublesome adverse drug reactions. Preliminary data indicate that gemifloxacin should prove to be an important addition to the fluoroquinolone class. Further clinical trial data are awaited with interest.

* Correspondence address. 6 Gilchrist Row, Fife KY16 8XU, UK. Tel: +44-1334-476-049; Fax: +44-1334-476-6371; E-mail: peterball1{at}aol.com


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Clin. Microbiol. Rev.Home page
J. Strahilevitz, G. A. Jacoby, D. C. Hooper, and A. Robicsek
Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance: a Multifaceted Threat
Clin. Microbiol. Rev., October 1, 2009; 22(4): 664 - 689.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Antimicrob ChemotherHome page
M. Ferech, S. Coenen, S. Malhotra-Kumar, K. Dvorakova, E. Hendrickx, C. Suetens, H. Goossens, and on behalf of the ESAC Project Group
European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption (ESAC): outpatient quinolone use in Europe
J. Antimicrob. Chemother., August 1, 2006; 58(2): 423 - 427.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Antimicrob ChemotherHome page
K. Poole
Efflux-mediated antimicrobial resistance
J. Antimicrob. Chemother., July 1, 2005; 56(1): 20 - 51.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
F. Islinger, R. Bouw, M. Stahl, E. Lackner, P. Zeleny, M. Brunner, M. Muller, H. G. Eichler, and C. Joukhadar
Concentrations of Gemifloxacin at the Target Site in Healthy Volunteers after a Single Oral Dose
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., November 1, 2004; 48(11): 4246 - 4249.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
D. Ince, X. Zhang, L. C. Silver, and D. C. Hooper
Dual Targeting of DNA Gyrase and Topoisomerase IV: Target Interactions of Garenoxacin (BMS-284756, T-3811ME), a New Desfluoroquinolone
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., November 1, 2002; 46(11): 3370 - 3380.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
H.-J. Yun, Y.-H. Min, J.-A Lim, J.-W. Kang, S.-Y. Kim, M.-J. Kim, J.-H. Jeong, Y.-J. Choi, H.-J. Kwon, Y.-H. Jung, et al.
In Vitro and In Vivo Antibacterial Activities of DW286, a New Fluoronaphthyridone Antibiotic
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., September 1, 2002; 46(9): 3071 - 3074.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.