JMM Profile: Fosfomycin: a potential antibiotic for multi- and extensively resistant bacteria.

Fosfomycin (FOF) is the first antimicrobial of the epoxide class. It is commercially available in oral and parenteral formulations. Oral FOF is widely used to treat uncomplicated cystitis in women, while parenteral FOF is extensively utilized for upper urinary tract infections. FOF has a broad-spectrum bactericidal activity with a low risk of cross-resistance to other antimicrobial classes. Therefore, parenteral FOF is increasingly prescribed adjunctive therapy to treat extra-urinary tract infections caused by multidrug-resistant, Gram-negative bacteria.