What Are Pleuromutilin Antibiotics and How Do They Work?

Thomas File, MD, MSc, Chair of Infectious Disease Division, Summa Health in Akron, Ohio, explains what pleuromutilin antibiotics are and how they work.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability):

“Pleuromutilins are a class of antimicrobial agents that have been recently developed for systemic administration for us to treat patients with certain infections. [They] work by inhibiting protein synthesis, but [they] have a unique mechanism of action which is different than other drugs that inhibit protein synthesis such that it is going to be effective against many pathogens that are resistant to these other drugs.”

DISCLOSURES: Dr. File is a consultant and on the Scientific Advisory Boards for Achaogen; Allergan; Bayer; Cempra; The Medicine’s Company; Merck; MotifBio; Nabriva; Paratek; Zavante.