PHARMA LITERATI

The newly-found corbomycin and the lesser-known complestatin have a never-before-seen way to kill bacteria, which is achieved by blocking the function of the bacterial cell wall. The discovery comes from a family of antibiotics called glycopeptides that are produced by soil bacteria. The researchers also demonstrated in mice that these new antibiotics can block infections caused by the drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus which is a group of bacteria that can cause many serious infections. The findings were published in Nature . " Bacteria have a wall around the outside of their cells that gives them shape and is a source of strength ," said study first author Beth Culp, a PhD candidate in biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster. "Antibiotics like penicillin kill bacteria by preventing building of the wall, but the antibiotics that we found actually work by doing the opposite -- they prevent the wall from being broken down. This is critical for...

World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified antibiotics into different groups based on their therapeutic efficacy and to curb the increasing risk of superbug infections. It has asked member-countries, including India, to adopt the classification in their health systems to cut the spread of antimicrobial resistance.  Antibiotics are the most sold drugs segment in India with sales of over Rs 1,000 crore. The WHO classification specifies which antibiotics to use for the most common and serious infections, which ones should be available at all times, and those that must be used as a last resort. The move is significant as the classification makes it easier for policy-makers and medical professionals to select the right antibiotic and protect the endangered antibiotics.  It has asked member-countries, including India, to adopt the classification in their health systems to cut the spread of antimicrobial resistance.  https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry...

Is it important to complete a full course of an antibiotic? Yes, according to conventional wisdom, which says stopping a course mid-way could lead to drug resistance. But several scientists have now challenged this claim. In many situations, stopping antibiotics sooner is a safe way to reduce antibiotic overuse, said a paper published in the British Medical Journal. "Patients are put at unnecessary risk from antibiotic resistance when treatment is longer than necessary ," said the authors from Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the UK. Dr Randeep Guleria, director, AIIMS , however, warned patients against stopping antibiotics on their own. Stopping or extending a course of antibiotics " is a clinician's call ", the AIIMS director said, while agreeing that there was a need to critically look at prescription patterns. Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant, internal medicine at Apollo hospital said an antibiotic course need not be treated as s...

Fist line antibiotics are missing in India and that’s making its drug resistance problems worse. Some essential antibiotics are under price control & drug manufacturers are less inclined to make them. India is witnessing an alarming rise in antibiotic resistance, much of which has been triggered by over prescription of the drugs by doctors, overuse by patients and unregulated use on farms and fisheries. But another factor contributing to this rise in antibiotic resistance is the unavailability of simple antibiotics that should be used as the first line of treatment. The lack of such first line antibiotics has resulted in people across India using stronger drugs to treat simple infections. Pathogens, therefore, develop resistance to these stronger drugs faster and render even the more basic antibiotics ineffective. On June 6, the World Health Organisation updated its Essential Medicines List, revising the antibiotic section extensively. Keeping in mind exten...