Antibiotic News and Research

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Antibiotics are drugs used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms.

Hepatic encephalopathy drug XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets receives FDA marketing approval

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted marketing approval for XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets for reduction in risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy recurrence in patients 18 years of age or older. HE is a serious disorder caused by chronic liver failure, resulting in cognitive, psychiatric and motor impairments. This approval was supported by findings from the largest randomized trial of maintenance therapy in HE conducted to date, which assessed the efficacy and safety of XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets and demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of overt HE recurrence.

25 Mar 2010

Pernix Therapeutics Holdings acquires oral third-generation cephalosporin, CEDAX

Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. today announced the acquisition of the antibiotic CEDAX® (ceftibuten) from Shionogi Pharma, Inc.

25 Mar 2010

Intensive program helps French hospital reduce MRSA rates over 15-year period

An intensive program of surveillance, precautions, training and feedback in a large multihospital institution appears to be associated with reductions in rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) over a 15-year period, according to a report in the March 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

23 Mar 2010

Infections from Clostridium difficile on the rise in community hospitals

While prevention methods appear to be helping to lower hospital infection rates from MRSA, a deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium, a new superbug is on the rise, according to research from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network.

23 Mar 2010

Meridian Bioscience seeks FDA marketing clearance for illumigene C. difficile molecular diagnostic test

Meridian Bioscience, Inc. announced today that it has submitted a 510(k) application to the United States Food and Drug Administration for marketing clearance of its new, simple molecular diagnostic test, illumigene™ C. difficile. illumigene is a simplified new technology platform, based upon loop amplification (LAMP) that makes molecular diagnostic testing possible for any size laboratory.

23 Mar 2010

SHEA, IDSA release new clinical practice guidelines for CDI in adults

A joint panel of experts from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America today released online new clinical practice guidelines for Clostridium difficile infection in adults. The guidelines, to be published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, update recommendations regarding the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and infection control and environmental management of this disease.

22 Mar 2010

Effective defense against HIV: Acne drug minocycline

Johns Hopkins scientists have found that a safe and inexpensive antibiotic in use since the 1970s for treating acne effectively targets infected immune cells in which HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, lies dormant and prevents them from reactivating and replicating.

20 Mar 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

A Lancet study performed a systematic review of HIV prevention and treatment services targeting injecting drug users (IDUs) globally based on the availability of "core interventions for IDUs: needle and syringe programmes (NSPs), opioid substitution therapy (OST) and other drug treatment, HIV testing and counselling, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and condom programmes." The authors conclude, "although the number of countries with core HIV prevention services is growing … worldwide, there are few countries in which the level of intervention coverage is sufficient to prevent HIV transmission" (Mathers et al., 3/20).

20 Mar 2010

ViroPharma to present Cinryze data at Southern European Allergy Society congress

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced the presentation of two abstracts relating to Cinryze™ (C1 esterase inhibitor [human]) therapy at the First International Congress of the Southern European Allergy Society in Florence, Italy.

19 Mar 2010

ViroPharma launches 'Ryze Above' for patients with HAE enrolled in CINRYZESolutions support program

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced the launch of 'Ryze Above' (www.ryzeabove.com), an exclusive patient resources program within the company's patient support program, CINRYZESolutions®. The Ryze Above program was created for HAE patients prescribed Cinryze, the first and only drug specifically approved to help prevent swelling and/or painful attacks in teenagers and adults with HAE.

19 Mar 2010

Global initiative for reducing time taken to introduce new combination TB treatments

Ahead of World TB Day, US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg helped public and private sector partners launch a new collaboration to significantly accelerate the development of combination treatments for tuberculosis — and replace an almost 50-year-old drug regimen. Created by the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, the Critical Path Institute, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the initiative could potentially reduce the time it takes to introduce new combination TB treatments from as much as a quarter century to as few as six years.

19 Mar 2010

Bactericidal antibiotic with activity against MRSA for treatment of cSSSIs would earn 25% patient share: Report

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that a therapy's effect on overall clinical success is the attribute that most influences surveyed infectious disease specialists' prescribing decisions in the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSIs).

19 Mar 2010

Overall mortality rates at Bay Medical Center in Panama City drop 1.3 points

Overall mortality rates from the end of 2007 to the beginning of 2010 at Bay Medical Center in Panama City, Florida have dropped from 3.4 to 2.1. A 1.3-point drop represents a huge reduction for any hospital and translates into lives saved.

19 Mar 2010

BioSense Technologies' Z-Sense Differential Impedance Sensing diagnostic system rapidly identifies drug susceptibility

BioSense Technologies, a pioneer in the development of diagnostic systems for rapid drug susceptibility testing, announced today that it presented key scientific findings at the National Foundation for Infection Disease 2010 Annual Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, held in Bethesda, MD in early February.

19 Mar 2010

Phase 1B clinical study initiated to evaluate safety and efficacy of PMX-60056

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat acute cardiovascular disorders and infectious diseases, has initiated a Phase 1B clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PMX-60056 in reversing the anticoagulant activity of low molecule weight heparin (LMWH).

19 Mar 2010

Acne drug prevents HIV breakout

18 Mar 2010

French National Program finds significant decreases in the rates of HAIs since 2004

Researchers evaluating France's national infection control program for healthcare facilities found significant decreases in the rates of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) since 2004. The drop in HAIs, including MRSA and surgical site infections, could be attributed to important changes in the national infection control system.

18 Mar 2010

Fungi, like bacteria, can cause severe infections

Fungi have significant potential for "horizontal" gene transfer, a new study has shown, similar to the mechanisms that allow bacteria to evolve so quickly, become resistant to antibiotics and cause other serious problems.

18 Mar 2010

New specialty service at Montefiore Medical Center helps patients with drug allergies

A Westchester patient takes aspirin for pain, but develops rashes and hives. A Bronx patient with a gastrointestinal problem caused by bacteria is prescribed penicillin, then passes out. A Bronx woman is given a contrast dye for an internal diagnostic exam, then her skin peels off.

18 Mar 2010

China Sky One Medical's 2009 fourth-quarter total revenues up 15.0%

China Sky One Medical, Inc., a leading fully integrated pharmaceutical company producing over-the-counter drugs in the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2009. The Company also announced its earnings guidance for full year 2010.

17 Mar 2010

Antibiotic News and Research

Further Reading

Hepatic encephalopathy drug XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets receives FDA marketing approval

Pernix Therapeutics Holdings acquires oral third-generation cephalosporin, CEDAX

Intensive program helps French hospital reduce MRSA rates over 15-year period

Infections from Clostridium difficile on the rise in community hospitals

Meridian Bioscience seeks FDA marketing clearance for illumigene C. difficile molecular diagnostic test

SHEA, IDSA release new clinical practice guidelines for CDI in adults

Effective defense against HIV: Acne drug minocycline

Recent releases in Global Health

ViroPharma to present Cinryze data at Southern European Allergy Society congress

ViroPharma launches 'Ryze Above' for patients with HAE enrolled in CINRYZESolutions support program

Global initiative for reducing time taken to introduce new combination TB treatments

Bactericidal antibiotic with activity against MRSA for treatment of cSSSIs would earn 25% patient share: Report

Overall mortality rates at Bay Medical Center in Panama City drop 1.3 points

BioSense Technologies' Z-Sense Differential Impedance Sensing diagnostic system rapidly identifies drug susceptibility

Phase 1B clinical study initiated to evaluate safety and efficacy of PMX-60056

Acne drug prevents HIV breakout

French National Program finds significant decreases in the rates of HAIs since 2004

Fungi, like bacteria, can cause severe infections

New specialty service at Montefiore Medical Center helps patients with drug allergies

China Sky One Medical's 2009 fourth-quarter total revenues up 15.0%

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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