It’s not the big things that you need to worry about; it’s the little things that will kill you! And nothing is truer than that when it comes to microbial bugs that have become resistant to antibiotic therapy! The rise in “Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—the ability of a microorganism (bacteria, virus, fungi, parasite) to resist the effects of a drug—is a serious, complex and costly public health problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the United States at least 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur, and more than 35,000 people die as a result.” (See here.)
Yesterday, the FDA announced the addition of a new tool to combat AMR with the approval of “Zevtera (ceftobiprole medocaril sodium for injection) for the treatment of adults with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (bacteremia) (SAB), including those with right-sided infective endocarditis; adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI); and adult and pediatric patients three months to less than 18 years old with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP).” The FDA press release announcing the approval (here) provides a detailed description of the clinical studies that supported the approval for adults and children, along with the side effects and adverse events associated with use of the antibiotic in a clinical setting.
The hunt is on for more new antibiotics to keep ahead of microorganisms’ ability to mutate. Let’s hope this new drug is used responsibly in medical practice to slow down the chance for the development of AMR. Those little bacteria sure do have inherent ability for self-preservation by mutating to avoid destruction, but at least for now those with the infections studied have a better chance of survival until the next new antibiotic comes along.
