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Coinciding with the continually increasing population of immunocompromised patients worldwide, the incidence of invasive fungal infections has grown over the past 4 decades. Unfortunately, infections caused by both yeasts such as Candida and molds such as Aspergillus or Mucorales remain associated with unacceptably high morbidity and mortality. In addition, the available antifungals with proven efficacy in the treatment of these infections remain severely limited. Although previously available second-generation triazole antifungals have significantly expanded the spectrum of the triazole antifungal class, these agents are laden with shortcomings in their safety profiles as well as formulation and pharmacokinetic challenges. Isavuconazole, administered as the prodrug isavuconazonium, is the latest second-generation triazole antifungal to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. Approved for the treatment of both invasive aspergillosis and invasive mucormycosis, and currently under investigation for the treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis, isavuconazole may have therapeutic advantages over its predecessors. With clinically relevant antifungal potency against a broad range of yeasts, dimorphic fungi, and molds, isavuconazole has a spectrum of activity reminiscent of the polyene amphotericin B. Moreover, clinical experience thus far has revealed isavuconazole to be associated with fewer toxicities than voriconazole, even when administered without therapeutic drug monitoring. These characteristics, in an agent available in both a highly bioavailable oral and a β-cyclodextrin-free intravenous formulation, will likely make isavuconazole a welcome addition to the triazole class of antifungals.

Antimicrobial resistance among gram-positive organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) continues to limit therapeutic options. The oxazolidinones are a synthetic class of agents now commonly relied on for the treatment of serious MRSA and VRE infections. With increasing utilization of linezolid, resistant pathogens have once again begun to emerge. Tedizolid, a next-generation oxazolidinone, possesses a spectrum of activity including MRSA and VRE, with significantly enhanced potency also against linezolid-resistant strains. Preclinical and early clinical studies have reported positive results, demonstrating a favorable pharmacokinetic profile in combination with key potential safety advantages. In two phase III clinical trials, tedizolid was found noninferior to linezolid in the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. Investigations for treatment of ventilator-acquired and health care-associated pneumonia are currently underway. Tedizolid has been subjected to pharmacodynamics studies throughout its development that have highlighted properties unique to this agent. Considerable accumulations in epithelial lining fluid and antimicrobial activity greatly augmented by the presence of granulocytes suggest that slow but bactericidal activity may be possible in some clinical scenarios. Structural distinctions between tedizolid and linezolid suggest that tedizolid has decreased vulnerability to oxazolidinone resistance mechanisms. Tedizolid minimum inhibitory concentrations are essentially unchanged in organisms possessing the chloramphenicol-florfenicol resistance gene, a horizontally transferable linezolid resistance mechanism. Although the clinical experience with tedizolid remains limited, early data suggest a potential role in the treatment of serious infections due to multidrug-resistant gram-positive pathogens.