Prospects for development of new antimycobacterial drugs, with special reference to a new benzoxazinorifamycin, KRM-1648.

In this article, I have thoroughly reviewed the status of development of new antimycobacterial drugs, in particular, rifamycin derivatives (rifabutin, rifapentine, and a new benzoxazinorifamycin, KRM-1648), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, sparfloxacin, levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, sitafloxacin, moxifloxacin, and others), new macrolides (clarithromycin, azithromycin, roxithromycin), and others. In this review, I have mainly described the in vitro and in vivo activities of these drugs against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and atypical mycobacteria, especially Mycobacterium avium complex. In addition, therapeutic efficacy of these drugs in cases of clinical treatment of mycobacterial infections have also been briefly mentioned.