Tigecycline is an antibiotic developed and marketed in the US by Wyeth under the brand name Tygacil®. It was given an Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fast-track approval and was approved on June 17, 2005. It was developed to fight antibiotic resistant infections such as MRSA.

Pharmacology

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This antibiotic is the first clinically-available drug in a new class of antibiotics called the glycylcyclines. It is structurally similar to the tetracyclines is that it contains a central four-ring carbocyclic skeleton. Tigecycline has a substitution at the D-9 position which is believed to confer broad spectrum activity. The drug targets the bacterial ribosome and is bacteriostatic.

Indications

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Tigecycline is active against many gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria and anaerobes. It has no activity against Pseudomonas or Proteus. The drug is licenced for use in the US for skin and soft tissue infections as well as intra-abdominal infections.

Dosing

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Tigecycline is given by slow intravenous infusion (30 to 60 minutes). A single dose of 100 milligram is given first, followed by 50mg every twelve hours after that. Patients with impaired liver function need to be given a lower dose. No adjustment is needed for patients with impaired kidney function. It is not licensed for use in children. There is no oral form available.

Glycylcycline antibiotics