Editing Telithromycin (section)

== Pharmacokinetics ==
Unlike erythromycin, telithromycin is acid-stable and can therefore be taken orally while being protected from gastric acids. It is fairly rapidly absorbed, and diffused into most tissues and [[phagocyte]]s. Due to the high concentration in phagocytes, telithromycin is actively transported to the site of infection. During active phagocytosis, large concentrations of telithromycin is released. The concentration of telithromycin in the tissues is much higher than in plasma. Telithromycin fulfills a role that has arisen due to the rise of microbial resistance to existing macrolides and appears to be effective against macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. The defining differentiating characteristic of the ketolides as opposed to other macrolides is the removal of the neutral sugar, L-cladinose from the 3 position of the macrolide ring and the subsequent oxidation of the 3-hydroxyl to a 3-keto functional group.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Scheinfeld N | title = Telithromycin: a brief review of a new ketolide antibiotic | journal = Journal of Drugs in Dermatology | volume = 3 | issue = 4 | pages = 409–413 | year = 2004 | pmid = 15303785 }}</ref>