Cefprozil (Cefzil - Bristol-Myers Squibb), a new oral second-generation cephalosporin, was recently released in the USA for treatment of pharyngitis, bronchitis, otitis media, and skin and skin-structure infections.

Loracarbef (Lorabid - Lilly), a new beta-lactam antibiotic with antimicrobial activity similar to the second-generation cephalosporins, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of respiratory, skin, and urinary tract infection caused by susceptible organisms in both adults and children. It will probably compete with drugs such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, and others), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (Augmentin), cefaclor (Ceclor), cefuroxime axetil (Ceftin), and cefprozil (Cefzil - Medical Letter, 34:63,...

Cefpodoxime proxetil (Vantin - Upjohn), a new third-generation oral cephalosporin, has been approved for marketing by the US Food and Drug Administration. It is available for twice-daily treatment of pharyngitis, upper and lower respiratory infections, otitis media, urinary tract infections, skin and soft tissue infections, and for single-dose treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea in men or women and anorectal gonorrhea in women.

Cefdinir (Omnicef - Parke-Davis), a third-generation oral cephalosporin, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of acute sinusitis, otitis media, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, pharyngitis, community-acquired pneumonia and skin infections. Other drugs available for these indications are reviewed in The Medical Letter Handbook of Antimicrobial Therapy, 1998.