Trospectomycin is an aminocyclitol antibiotic similar in structure to spectinomycin. The drug was originally developed by Pharmacia & Upjohn. It is a 6'-propyl analogue of spectinomycin, and lacks the aminosugars in glycosidic linkage which are thought to be responsible for the ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity associated with the aminoglycosides. The mechanism of action of trospectomycin is similar to that of its parent compound, spectinomycin: it binds to the bacterial 30S ribosome and inhibits protein synthesis. The transport mechanism for its delivery to its target site does not appear to be oxygen dependent, and this explains the in-vitro activity of trospectomycin against anaerobic organisms. Trospectomycin has activity against a broad spectrum of pathogenic organisms including Streptococcus, Haemophilus, Gardnerella, Neisseria, Peptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Bacteroides, Mobiluncus, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma spp. Results of in-vivo testing suggest potential utility in a variety of clinical conditions including non-gonococcal urethritis, chlamydial cervicitis, gonorrhoea, pelvic inflammatory disease, pneumonia, anaerobic infections and meningitis. Trospectomycin progressed to late stage clinical trials for treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease (chlamydia) before being abandoned for commercial reasons as the third generation cephalosporins and second generation macrolides in development and use were judged superior at the time.