Retapamulin for impetigo and other infections.

Last year, we concluded that topical fusidic acid should be first-line treatment for impetigo. Since then, retapamulin ointment (Altargo - GlaxoSmithKline), a new antibacterial, has been licensed in the European Union as a short-term treatment for impetigo and infected small lacerations, abrasions or sutured wounds in people aged 9 months or above. Advertisements claim that the product "treats localised impetigo in just 5 days"; by comparison, the British National Formulary (BNF) advises a 7-day course of fusidic acid. Here we consider the place of retapamulin in impetigo and its other licensed indications.