Posted by yxibow on April 13, 2006, at 1:04:28
In reply to Re: Levaquin » ed_uk, posted by Phillipa on April 12, 2006, at 11:12:11
> When I called and told the doctor was was happening they acted like I was crazy and it was just as a precaution for a flu like illness in an out pt facility. Love PJ O
Antibiotics are overused in this country -- and some older ones are quite overused in China and other countries.
This timeline, which I posted before, gives a fascinating inlook into the history of antibiotics (not complete but fairly accurate)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_antibiotics
This image is not for the faint of heart, linezolid (Zyvox) (IV)
http://www.zyvox.com/index.asp?hcp=true
One of the two antibiotics of last resort. The last one was made in 2001 for the EU and 2004 for the US, Ketek.
"Since 1998, only 10 new antibiotics have been approved by FDA—two of which are truly novel (i.e., have a new target of action, with no cross-resistance with other antibiotics)."
-- Infectious Disease Society of AmericaGSK is exepected to market retapamulin this year.
Two more near last resorts also (IV):
Tygacil (tigecycline) was approved last year, another first in class
Cubicin (daptomycin)
But the pipeline is small in comparison to other drugs, and it is a growing concern at hospitals. Some estimate over a billion would have to be invested in truly novel antibiotics.
And except for HIV and other sexually/human transmitted diseases such as Hepatits, vaccine research also is in vast need of a pipeline.
Tamiflu has been approved for H5N1, bird flu, though we do not know its full effectiveness.
Of course this is the psych board, so we're getting in the health range... but its an important thing to know.
poster:yxibow
thread:631164
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060412/msgs/632477.html