Despite the introduction 40 years ago of the inexpensive and effective four-drug (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol) treatment regimen, tuberculosis (TB) continues to cause considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. For the first time since the 1960s, new and novel drugs and regimens for all forms of TB are emerging. Such regimens are likely to utilize both repurposed drugs and new chemical entities, and several of these regimens are now progressing through clinical trials. This article covers current concepts and recent advances in TB drug discovery and development.

HIV disease is a chronic infection that requires lifelong treatment with the aim of suppressing the circulating viral load in order to improve the host immune status. The development of safe and effective antiretroviral agents with unique resistance profiles or novel mechanisms of action are an important goal for the long-term management of HIV-infected patients. The antiretroviral drug classes include entry and fusion inhibitors, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors. Current antiretroviral therapeutic regimens are associated with the emergence of issues like HIV drug resistance, drug toxicities, associated poor patient adherence to therapy, co-existence of other opportunistic, and blood borne viral infections. Newer antiretroviral agents may provide some alternatives to modulate the therapy as per the requirements of the HIV infected patients.

Introduction: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. Approximately >50% of women at least once in their lifetime have suffered from UTI and received antibiotic treatment. Serious UTIs are difficult to treat as it involves a wide array of Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative bacteria. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the primary causative agent implicated in >80% of UTI cases.Current approach to treatment: A variety of drugs are indicated for the treatment of various clinical forms of UTI. These include nitrofurantoin, cotrimoxazole,fluoroquinolones, some cephalosporins, piperacillin-tazobactam, meropenem, ertapenem etc. Recently various studies have repor ted ciprofloxacin resistance among E. coli, the most common uropathogen. Review of literature pertaining to ciprofloxacin resis- tance:The prevalence, factors contributing to resistance and mechanism thereof have been reviewed.Hence, it is necessary to rationalize the use of ciprofloxacin to control the threat of antibiotic resistance. Conclusion:The incidence of resistance to ciprofloxacin has increased steadily during the past few years. Thus, the empirical use of fluoroquinolones for treatment of UTI should be reconsidered and the drug used only whenthere are clear laboratory tests confirming sensitivity to the drug.