What are the properties that make an antibiotic acceptable for therapy of community-acquired pneumonia?

The factors associated with identifying an appropriate dose and schedule of an antimicrobial agent for treatment of hospitalized, seriously ill patients with pneumonia are straightforward. Information is required about the potency of the agent for typical pathogens likely to be encountered with pneumonia. It is helpful to understand the utility of the agent against pathogens that express resistance to older antimicrobial agents. The agent must be able to gain access to the site of infection at the dose and schedule chosen and at concentrations high enough to attain microbiologically effective targets [e.g. 1 or 2 log(10) (cfu/g) bacterial cell kill, accounting for between-patient variability]. Finally, therapeutic concentrations should be attained quickly at the primary site of infection to optimize clinical outcomes. When considering all of these factors, it is expected that ceftaroline fosamil will be a valuable addition to the therapeutic armamentarium for management of community-acquired pneumonia.