There is an urgent medical need for novel antibacterial agents to treat hospital infections, specially those caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. The need may also be fulfilled by either exploring antibacterial agents having new mechanism of action or expanding known classes of antibacterial drugs. The paper describes a new chemical entity, compound 21, derived from hitherto little known "floxacin". The choice of the entity was made from a series of synthesized prodrugs and salts of the active chiral benzoquinolizine carboxylic acid, S-(-)-nadifloxacin. The chemistry, physicochemical characteristics, and essential bioprofile of 21 qualifies it for serious consideration as a novel drug entity against hospital infections of multi-drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and its progress up to clinical phase I trials in humans is described.

Synthesis of Some New Azetidinones and Their Herbicidal Activities. -2-Azetidinones (VI) (18 examples) are prepared starting from trichloropyridinolate (I) via Schiff bases (IV). Compounds (VI) show moderate to good herbicidal activity. -(GAJARE, A. S.; BHAWSAR, S. B.; SHINDE, D. B.; SHINGARE, M. S.; Indian J.