New antimicrobials.

Two groups of compounds, the beta-lactams and the quinolones, account for the main developments in antimicrobials in the last 5 years. Efforts to overcome emerging problems of resistance and to broaden further the spectrum of similar existing agents have been the main impetus to the pharmaceutical industry, though some compounds have also been developed with a narrow spectrum intended for specific pathogens. This article reviews antibiotics that have recently become available in the UK and also discusses compounds that are undergoing clinical trials at present.