In an era of increasing antimicrobial resistance, there is a growing need for new antimicrobial agents with novel mechanisms of action, particularly for the management of serious nosocomial infections. Tigecycline is the first in a new class of antimicrobial agents, the glycylcyclines. Although structurally derived from minocycline, tigecycline has been modified to overcome common tetracycline-resistance mechanisms. Tigecycline has a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, including activity against some multidrug resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. The safety and efficacy of tigecycline has been demonstrated in phase lll clinical trials. It is currently approved for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections and complicated intra-abdominal infections in adult patients
