Kyorin's gatifloxacin ['Tequin'] is a new fluoroquinolone which is active against a wide range of pathogens, including Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, atypical pathogens and anaerobes. While it has been approved for use in the US, it is only at the phase II/III stage of development in Europe. The 8th Biennial Conference on Antiinfective Agents and Chemotherapy [Munich, Germany;March 2000] provided an opportunity for researchers to present some of the first European clinical data on this new fluoroquinolone.