What specific bacteria is tigecycline primarily used to combat?

What infections does tigecycline treat most often?
Tigecycline is approved for complicated skin and skin-structure infections, complicated intra-abdominal infections, and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. It is reserved for cases where other antibiotics are unsuitable because many common pathogens show resistance to older agents.

Which organisms does it cover that many other drugs miss?
The drug’s broadest activity is against Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). It also reaches several Gram-negative species and atypical pathogens such as Legionella pneumophila and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

How does it work against resistant strains?
Tigecycline binds the 30S ribosomal subunit and blocks protein synthesis. Because it is not recognized by common tetracycline-efflux pumps and ribosomal-protection proteins, it retains activity against many strains that tetracycline and minocycline no longer inhibit.

What organisms limit its usefulness?
It has little or no activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus species, and most strains of Providencia. In practice, these gaps often require combination therapy when those pathogens are suspected.

When do patents and generics affect availability?
The key U.S. composition-of-matter patent expired in 2015, and several generic versions are now marketed. Updated patent and exclusivity data appear on DrugPatentWatch.com.