The CDC and Spectinomycin

Pfizer discontinued US distribution of spectinomycin (Trobicin®) in November 2005; remaining inventory expired in May 2006 [1]. Nonetheless, at the FDA website we still find a Package Insert for Trobicin updated as late as Aug 2012, a thin 6-page leaflet which Continue reading The CDC and Spectinomycin

To Kill A Mocking Bug – of the CRKP or CRAB Variety

Meropenem stands out as an antibiotic to be used first in ESBL and MDR infections, given its efficacy profile and safety record (see earlier blog). It also would seem to be appropriate to use relatively high doses or prolonged infusion Continue reading To Kill A Mocking Bug – of the CRKP or CRAB Variety

CDC Report on Pan-Resistant NDM Klebsiella in Nevada– A Sad Tale

During the past few weeks the case of a patient with MDR Klebsiella infection has made the news. We are told that this particular pathogen is “resistant to 26 antibiotics”. We were informed that the patient had multiple prior hospitalizations Continue reading CDC Report on Pan-Resistant NDM Klebsiella in Nevada– A Sad Tale

Aerosolized Antibiotics (Part 2) – Mixed News on Two Fronts

INSMED – NTM The company that is developing Arikayce, a preparation of liposomal amikacin inhalation (LAI), for the treatment of NTM had to withdraw its MAA in Europe earlier this year [1] because data was not convincing enough for regulators to Continue reading Aerosolized Antibiotics (Part 2) – Mixed News on Two Fronts

The EpiPen Episode, an Epitaph on Epinephrine as we know it, an Epilogue and an Epiphany

For a good long time, economists have been thinking about the reimbursement quandary for antibiotics, esp. antibacterials. They are just too cheap, right?  Well, with the exception of HCV and some newer HIV drugs, few compounds have ever reached the Continue reading The EpiPen Episode, an Epitaph on Epinephrine as we know it, an Epilogue and an Epiphany