Clarithromycin and new derivatives of erythromycin

Since erythromycin’ s the discovery in 1952 [1], it has been one of the most useful macrolide antibiotics, having the highest antibacterial activity and low toxicity. In order to achieve high antibacterial activities against a wide variety of pathogens and favorable pharmacokinetic properties, tremendous efforts have been made related to chemical modification [2, 3]. In the 1970s and 1980s, dirithromycin, flurithromycin, and davercin were synthesized and evaluated. Erythromycin itself is quite unstable under acidic conditions, so esters, salts, and various formulations also have been developed.