Antimicrobial Drug News and Research

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Antimicrobials are substance that kills microorganisms such as bacteria or mold, or stops them from growing and causing disease.

U.S. 'super bugs' invading several Colombian cities

Two clones of highly antibiotic-resistant organism strains, which previously had only been identified in the United States, are now causing serious sickness and death in several Colombian cities including the capital Bogota, say researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

12 Nov 2008

Antibacterial drug use increases at academic medical centers

Antibacterial drug use appears to have increased at academic medical centers between 2002 and 2006, driven primarily by greater use of broad-spectrum agents and the antibiotic vancomycin, according to a report in the Nov. 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Nov 2008

New silver coated anti-microbial barrier dressing receives Canadian approval

NUCRYST Pharmaceuticals, a developer and manufacturer of medical products that fight infection and inflammation, and the Advanced Wound Management division of Smith & Nephew plc announced today that Health Canada granted marketing approval for Acticoat Flex barrier dressing for wounds that require up to seven days of sustained antimicrobial activity.

8 Nov 2008

Accelr8 announces study results with BACcel diagnostic system for broad resistance in gram-negative pathogens

Accelr8 Technology Corporation announced study results today that were presented at the joint sessions of the 48 th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC, www.icaac.org) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA, www.idsociety.org), October 25-29 in Washington, DC.

7 Nov 2008

Protect yourself from flu by wearing a mask and washing your hands

In what has been termed a landmark new study, it is suggested that wearing masks and washing hands prevents the spread of flu-like symptoms.

28 Oct 2008

New strategy to treat human infections caused by the yeast Candida albicans

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have successfully tested a genetic strategy designed to improve treatment of human infections caused by the yeast Candida albicans, ranging from diaper rash, vaginitis, oral infections (or thrush which is common in HIV/AIDS patients), as well as invasive, blood-borne and life-threatening diseases.

27 Oct 2008

NanoBio demonstrates new topical approach to treating nail fungus that circumvents problems with current therapy

A novel topical therapy for nail fungus, NB-002, has demonstrated a new topical approach to healing nail fungus by penetrating skin pores and diffusing through the skin that surrounds the entire nail plate, according to a study conducted by NanoBio Corporation.

27 Oct 2008

Rapid HIV testing in the emergency department boosts diagnoses, screening

One in every 50 people screened for a suspected sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the Emergency Department at Henry Ford Hospital was found to be infected with HIV using a rapid blood sample screening test.

26 Oct 2008

Targanta Therapeutics presents preclinical data on Oritavancin against Clostridium difficile infection

Targanta Therapeutics Corporation has released the in vivo data from a preclinical study comparing the activity of its antibiotic drug candidate, oritavancin, to vancomycin in a hamster model of Clostridium difficile infection.

26 Oct 2008

High dose flu vaccine boosts immune response in elderly

Giving people age 65 and older a dose four times larger than the standard flu vaccine boosts the amount of antibodies in their blood to levels considered protective against the flu, more so than the standard flu vaccine does. The findings from a study of nearly 4,000 people were presented Oct. 26 at a national meeting on infectious diseases.

26 Oct 2008

Why do women typically experience poorer dental health than men?

Reproduction pressures and rising fertility explain why women suffered a more rapid decline in dental health than did men as humans transitioned from hunter-and-gatherers to farmers and more sedentary pursuits, says a University of Oregon anthropologist.

14 Oct 2008

Steroids aid recovery from pneumonia, UT Southwestern researchers say

Adding corticosteroids to traditional antimicrobial therapy might help people with pneumonia recover more quickly than with antibiotics alone, UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have found.

14 Oct 2008

The healing power of honey for wounds

Since ancient times honey has been valued for its health benefits and is even mentioned in the Bible and it has had a prominent a role in the customs and diets of many cultures for centuries.

12 Oct 2008

Disinfectants can make bacteria resistant to treatment

Chemicals used in the environment to kill bacteria could be making them stronger, according to a paper published in the October issue of the journal Microbiology. Low levels of these chemicals, called biocides, can make the potentially lethal bacterium Staphylococcus aureus remove toxic chemicals from the cell even more efficiently, potentially making it resistant to being killed by some antibiotics.

6 Oct 2008

Science backs old fashioned belief in the healing powers of honey

Research by Canadian scientists lends support to the old fashioned belief in the healing powers of honey.

25 Sep 2008

Untapped potential of antidepressants for cancer

A comprehensive review of current scientific literature, published in the peer-reviewed journal ecancer, has suggested that antidepressants can help the human body fight cancer by boosting its own immune response, amongst other mechanisms.

11 Sep 2008

Light activated treatments could solve MRSA problems after surgery

Killer dyes that can wipe out bacteria could help solve the superbug problems faced by surgical patients, scientists heard today (Wednesday 10 September 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn meeting being held this week at Trinity College, Dublin.

9 Sep 2008