Use
The oxazolidinones are a novel class of synthetic antimicrobial agents unrelated to any other antibacterial drug class. They were originally developed as monoamine oxidase inhibitors for treatment of depression, with subsequent recognition of their antimicrobial properties. The first members of the group to emerge exhibited potent activity against Gram-positive organisms, but were not developed for human use owing to toxicity in animal models. In the 1990s two less toxic oxazolidinones were developed: eperezolid, a piperazine derivative, and linezolid, a morpholine derivative. Linezolid exhibited the more favorable pharmacokinetic profile and was subsequently licensed for human use.