Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Fresh from the Pipeline
  • Published:

Retapamulin

Abstract

Retapamulin (Altabax; GlaxoSmithKline) is the first in a new class of antibacterial drugs known as pleuromutilins to be approved for use in humans. It was approved by the US FDA for the topical treatment of impetigo, a skin infection caused by bacteria, in April 2007, and approved in Europe (where it will be marketed as Altargo) for the treatment of impetigo and infected small lacerations, abrasions or sutured wounds in June 2007.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Retapamulin.

References

  1. Cole, C. & Gazewood, J. Diagnosis and treatment of impetigo. Am. Fam. Physician 75, 859–864 (2007).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kavanagh, F., Hervey, A. & Robbins, W. J. Antibiotic substances from Basidiomycetes: VIII. Pleurotus Multilus (Fr.) Sacc. and Pleurotus Passeckerianus Pilat. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 37, 570–574 (1951).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hunt, E. Pleuromutilin antibiotics. Drugs Future 25, 1163–1168 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Jones, R. N. et al. Activity of retapamulin (SB-275833), a novel pleuromutilin, against selected resistant Gram-positive cocci. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50, 2583–2586 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Rittenhouse, S. et al. Selection of retapamulin, a novel pleuromutilin for topical use. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50, 3882–3885 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Food and Drug Administration. FDA labelling information [online], (2007).

  7. Yan, K. et al. Biochemical characterization of the interactions of the novel pleuromutilin derivative retapamulin with bacterial ribosomes. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50, 3875–3881 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Davidovich, C. et al. Induced-fit tightens pleuromutilins binding to ribosomes and remote interactions enable their selectivity. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 104, 4291–4296 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kosowska-Shick K. et al. Single- and multistep resistance selection studies on the activity of retapamulin compared to other agents against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50, 765–769 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Rittenhouse, S. et al. Use of the surgical wound infection model to determine the efficacious dosing regimen of retapamulin, a novel topical antibiotic. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50, 3886–3888 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. European Medicines Agency. European Public Assessment Report [online], (2007).

  12. Daum, R. S. Clinical practice. Skin and soft-tissue infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. N. Engl. J. Med. 357, 380–390 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Han, L. L. et al. High frequencies of clindamycin and tetracycline resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pulsed-field type USA300 isolates collected at a Boston ambulatory health center. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45, 1350–1352 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Diep, B. A. et al. Complete genome sequence of USA300, an epidemic clone of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Lancet 367, 731–739 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gentry, D. R. et al. Stepwise exposure of Staphylococcus aureus to pleuromutilins is associated with stepwise acquisition of mutations in rplC and minimally affects susceptibility to retapamulin. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51, 2048–2052 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Jones, R. N. et al. Contemporary antimicrobial activity of triple antibiotic ointment: a multiphased study of recent clinical isolates in the United States and Australia. Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 54, 63–71 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. IMS Health. IMS MIDAS Quantum (2006).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Daum, R., Kar, S. & Kirkpatrick, P. Retapamulin. Nat Rev Drug Discov 6, 865–866 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd2442

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd2442

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing