The Lancet Infectious Diseases Volume 7, Issue 1 , January 2007, Pages 68-78
Forum Anti-infective research and development--problems, challenges, and solutions
John S Bradley, Robert Guidos, Steve Baragona, John G Bartlett, Ethan Rubinstein, George G Zhanel, Michael D Tino, David L Pompliano, Frank Tally, Praveen Tipirneni, Glenn S Tillotson, John H Powers and Glenn S Tillotson
Retrieved online.
This group from IDSA is decrying the fact that many of the big pharmaceuticals are not developing new antibiotics.
quote:We identified several obstacles to antibiotic development.2 Anti-infective drug products are less profitable than other types of medicines, particularly those for chronic conditions.
Furthermore, once a new antibiotic is finally approved, infectious disease physicians add an additional financial disincentive and urge our general practice colleagues to refrain from using it to help reduce the development of resistance.
As a result, many major pharmaceutical companies have decided to focus their research and development efforts elsewhere, leaving the pipeline in this essential field dangerously dry.
One writer suggested working on better immune-support techniques, better dosing times, and combinations therapy...
quote:Lack of new antibiotics requires re-evaluating and re-investing in monoclonal antibodies, bacteriophages, probiotics, and ways to augment innate immunity.
With few new antibiotics in the pipeline, perhaps we need to go back and re-evaluate our dosing schedules, durations of treatment, and how and when to use combination therapy to achieve clinical success and prevent resistance from occurring.
Posted by Truthfinder (Member # 8512) on :
Good post.
Well, this does help explain why there's not a lot of research being done on new abx, and why the drug companies aren't particularly interested in the whole chronic Lyme problem, as least from the perspective of creating new abx.
Funny they didn't even mention nano-technology.
What's that other thing called where they use specific, ``genetically engineered'' viruses to kill certain other organisms? Gosh, I can't think of the word!
Tracy
Posted by clairenotes (Member # 10392) on :
Quote:
"With few new antibiotics in the pipeline, perhaps we need to go back and re-evaluate our dosing schedules, durations of treatment, and how and when to use combination therapy to achieve clinical success and prevent resistance from occurring.***"
Yes... the answer may lie in the sequencing.
[ 05. January 2007, 12:16 PM: Message edited by: clairenotes ]
Posted by Greatcod (Member # 7002) on :
The real deal is that most often antibiotics are used for short periods of time, and that diminishes their bottom line potential. Same for diseases that plague the third world; the victims don't have the money to pay for medicines. No profit, no drug. A serious weak link in the arguement for the infalibility of market systems.
Posted by clairenotes (Member # 10392) on :
Quote:
"A serious weak link in the arguement for the infalibility of market systems."