Investigation of a novel colon-targeted antibiotic class

Clostridium difficile and Enterococcus faecium are two important human pathogens that reside within the human gastrointestinal tract and cause infections that are difficult to treat. The oxadiazoles are investigated as a novel antibiotic drug class with considerable activity against several Gram-positive pathogens. The compounds are modified using medicinal chemistry approached to impart pharmacokinetic profiles that are suitable for delivery to the colon after oral administration. The work described in this thesis makes significant progress toward the discovery of a new class of colon-targeted antibiotics for the treatment of infections caused by gastrointestinal pathogens.