Penicillin News and Research

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Penicillin (sometimes abbreviated PCN or pen) is a group of antibiotics derived from ''Penicillium'' fungi. Penicillin antibiotics are historically significant because they are the first drugs that were effective against many previously serious diseases such as syphilis and Staphylococcus infections.

NYP/Weill Cornell research reveals that prolonged QRS duration indicates abnormal pumping of the heart

QRS duration (QRSd) is one of several measures of heart function recorded during a routine electrocardiogram (ECG). It is a composite of waves showing the length of time it takes for an electrical signal to get all the way through the pumping chambers of the heart. Prolonged QRSd is a sign of an abnormal electrical system of the heart and is often found when the heart isn't pumping efficiently.

28 Aug 2009

FDA issues marketing approval for APP Pharmaceuticals' Penicillin G potassium for Injection, USP

APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc. (NASDAQ: APCVZ), announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market penicillin G potassium for Injection, USP, in two dosage strengths. Penicillin G is therapeutically equivalent to the reference drug PfizerPen™ G, which is marketed by the innovator Pfizer, Inc.

25 Aug 2009

Coping with burn injuries

More than half a million Americans are treated for burn injuries every year, but many do not have the specific skills necessary to cope with the experience of living with a burn injury after they leave the hospital.

20 Aug 2009

Fluxion Biosciences receives a $1.8 million NIH grant for developing microfluidic platform

Fluxion Biosciences, a leading developer of microfluidic systems for functional cell analysis, today announced that it has received a $1.8 million NIH grant for the development of a high-throughput screening platform for anti-microbial drug discovery.

From Fluxion Biosciences 20 Aug 2009

Antibiotic prescribing should be standardized across Europe to help tackle resistance

Antibiotic prescribing for respiratory illnesses should be standardised across Europe to help reduce inappropriate prescribing and resistance, say experts in a study published on bmj.com.

24 Jun 2009

Dangerous liaisons: bacterial 'sex' causes antibiotic resistance

Some disease-causing bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics because they have peculiar sex lives, say researchers publishing new results today in the journal Science.

12 Jun 2009

Researchers find an increased rate of unintentional injection of epinephrine from auto-injectors for anaphylaxis

Researchers find an increased rate of unintentional injection of epinephrine from auto-injectors for anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions) and urge people who may need to administer the life-saving drug to themselves or others in an allergic emergency to receive regular coaching in its proper use.

6 Apr 2009

Targeted approach to kill specific disease-causing bacteria in the mouth

Research to develop a narrow-spectrum antibiotic that can target a particular species of bacteria without harming the other "good" bacteria present was described at the Society for General Microbiology meeting at Harrogate today (Thursday April 2).

1 Apr 2009

Rockefeller neuroscientist applies basic science to health care reform

A self-described "molecular sociologist" is extending his basic research to the national policy debate on health care reform. Bruce McEwen, head of the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, led a panel of scientific experts last month at the Institute of Medicine's Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public. The Institute is the most prominent independent medical advisory board in the country and will release a report from the conference in November, as Congress is likely to be considering major health care legislation.

25 Mar 2009

FDA approves new indication for Wyeth's Tygacil (tigecycline)

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Tygacil (tigecycline), for the treatment of adult patients with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) caused by susceptible strains of indicated pathogens.

24 Mar 2009

Superbug complicates treatment of infections in cystic fibrosis

The unexpected behaviour of a family of "superbugs" called the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) could have implications for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.

17 Mar 2009

Lab tests show meropenem and clavulanate combination effective against drug-resistant TB bacteria

WHAT: In a finding that could soon help people infected with untreatable, highly drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), scientists have shown that two FDA-approved drugs work in tandem to kill laboratory-grown strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes TB.

26 Feb 2009

Drug combo shows potential for treating extensively drug resistant tuberculosis

A combination of two FDA-approved drugs, already approved for fighting other bacterial infections, shows potential for treating extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), the most deadly form of the infection.

26 Feb 2009

New software speeds enzyme design

A Duke University-led team has brought powerful software to the never-ending arms race between antibiotics and germs.

16 Feb 2009

New self-sanitizing antibacterial plaster

Scientists in China are reporting development and testing of new self-sanitizing plaster with more powerful antibacterial effects than penicillin.

11 Feb 2009

Researchers develop "virtual patient" to help train the pharmacists of the future

Keele University has developed a “virtual patient” to help train the pharmacists of the future.

23 Jan 2009

MRSA pre-screening effective in reducing otolaryngic surgical infection rates

Pre-operative screening of patients for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may be an effective way to reduce infection rates following otolaryngic surgeries, according to new research published in the January 2009 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

1 Jan 2009

Mathematical models of adaptive immunity

More than five million people die every year from infectious diseases, despite the availability of numerous antibiotics and vaccines. The discovery of penicillin to treat bacterial infections, along with the development of vaccines for previously incurable virus diseases such as polio and smallpox, achieved great reductions in mortality during the mid-20th century.

11 Dec 2008

FDA issues complete response letter for Ceftobiprole for treatment of complicated skin infections

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD), today announced that it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its New Drug Application (NDA) for ceftobiprole for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections, including diabetic foot infections.

26 Nov 2008

First-ever glimpse of the cell-wall structure in three dimensions

The bacterial cell wall that is the target of potent antibiotics such as penicillin is actually made up of a thin single layer of carbohydrate chains, linked together by peptides, which wrap around the bacterium like a belt around a person, according to research conducted by scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

17 Nov 2008