Long-term antibiotics reduce COPD exacerbations, raise questions Nov 21, 2008
Long-term use of a macrolide antibiotic may reduce the frequency of exacerbations in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by as much as 35 percent, according to a London-based study. "Our results show a significant effect of low-dose macrolide therapy, reducing exacerbation frequency and severity with moderate to severe COPD," wrote lead author of the paper, Terence A. R. Seemungal, Ph ... "In this scenario, substantial, widespread emergence of macrolide... (EurekAlert!)
Rib-X Pharmaceuticals Reports Positive Phase 2 Study Results for Next Generation Oxazolidinone at 2008 ICAAC/IDSA Joint Meeting Oct 27, 2008
The Rx-04 discovery program is developing novel classes of antibiotics active against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria and the Rx-02 discovery program is focused on developing an IV/oral macrolide active against methicillin-resistant S. aureus, multidrug-resistant Streptococus pneumonia and S. pyogenes. Additionally, Rib-X is developing delafloxacin, (RX-3341), an anionic fluoroquinolone active against a broad spectrum of bacteria, including quinolone-resistant Gram-positive bacteria... (PR Newswire)
Novexel Reports Positive Phase II Trial Results With NXL103 in Adult Patients With Community Acquired Pneumonia Oct 23, 2008
NXL103 is a novel oral streptogramin antibiotic that has potent in vitro activity against certain Gram positive bacteria including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as well as the important respiratory pathogens including penicillin, macrolide and quinolone resistant strains. The NXL103 Phase II study was a double-blind, multinational, randomized, comparative study that evaluated this novel oral antibacterial as a treatment for mild to moderate CAP. The study recruited 300 adult... (PR Newswire)
Anti-Rejection Drugs After Transplant, Increase Diabetes Risk: Study May 31, 2008
A relatively new drug possessing potent immunosuppressive and antiproliferative properties, Sirolimus is a macrolide first discovered as a product of the bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus in a soil sample from an island called Rapa Nui. ( filed under: ) Write to author. (TheMedGuru)
How Some Bacteria Survive Antibiotics May 3, 2008
Erythromycin and newer macrolide antibiotics azithromycin and clarithromycin are often used to treat respiratory tract infections, as well as outbreaks of syphilis, acne and gonorrhea ... Macrolide antibiotics act upon the ribosomes, the protein-synthesizing factories of the cell. (Science Daily)
Targanta Announces Highlights of Oritavancin Data to Be Presented at the 18th ECCMID Apr 19, 2008
P-538 and P-539 conclude that oritavancin maintains potent in vitro activity against clinical European bacterial isolates including: strains of staphylococci resistant to oxacillin or multiple drugs, coagulase-negative staphylococci non-susceptible to linezolid and daptomycin; both vancomycin-susceptible and resistant enterococci (VSE and VRE) whether E. faecalis or E. faecium; and against all streptococci, regardless of penicillin, macrolide or multi-drug resistance phenotypes. In the study... (BusinessWire)
Synthesis Of Natural Molecule Could Lead To Better Anti-cancer Drugs Jan 30, 2008
The JACS paper, titled Total Synthesis and Structural Revision of the Marine Macrolide Neopeltolide, was first published Dec. 28, 2007, online. The Northwestern research was supported by the Sloan Foundation, Abbott Laboratories, Amgen, AstraZeneca, 3M, GlaxoSmithKline and Boehringer-Ingelheim. (Science Daily)
Antibiotic Treatment Targets Difficult Asthma Dec 20, 2007
Results of a new study indicate that macrolide antibiotics could prove a successful therapy in conjunction with current asthma treatment ... In addition to their regular asthma therapy, participants received a macrolide antibiotic (called klacid) or placebo medication for eight weeks ... "In this study we have shown that treatment with a macrolide antibiotic for eight weeks significantly reduced inflammation in the airways and improved quality of life in patients with difficult asthma," said Dr... (Science Daily)
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Lays Out New Treatment Guidelines Nov 19, 2007
The pulmonary guidelines committee assessed the clinical efficacy and safety of the use of aerosolized antibiotics, recombinant human DNase (dornase alfa), hypertonic saline inhalation, anti-inflammatory agents, macrolide antibiotics, the use of bronchodilators and N-acetylcysteine. They analyzed the clinical results with regard to the number of studies, strength of the study designs and the quality and consistency of results to make their final recommendations. (Science Daily)
Atypical Pathogen Treatment Vital In Hospitalized CAP Patients May 16, 2007
Atypical treatment was defined as the use of any antibiotic regimen that contained a macrolide, fluoroquinolone or tetracycline (all broad-spectrum antibiotics). After dividing the world into four areas and using 2,208 patients listed in the Community-Acquired Pneumonia Organization (CAPO) database, the number of patients who received an atypical treatment regimen in Region I (North America) was 91 percent, with 74 percent in Region II (Europe), 53 percent in Region III (Latin America), and 10... (Science Daily)
Antibiotic Overuse Does Make Microbes Resistant Feb 9, 2007
In the study, healthy volunteers were given either azithromycin or clarithromycin, members of the macrolide family of antibiotics, while a third group received a placebo. The researchers periodically tested samples of the Streptococcus family of bacteria, obtained from individuals in each group, to see if they had developed any resistance to the macrolide drugs ... And while azithromycin caused a slightly greater increase in bacterial resistance over the short term, clarithromycin seemed to... (Forbes)
