Progress Report: New Antibacterials In the Fight against MDR Bacteria

Since the beginning of this millennium we have seen antibiotic R&D dwindle year after year. There are many reasons for this; while economics are often cited for this decline, the FDA and the ‘Guideline Wars’, i.e., those never ending discussions about regulatory requirements, have contributed to this trend in a Continue reading Progress Report: New Antibacterials In the Fight against MDR Bacteria

The 10 x ’20 Goal – Are We On Track?

In the last decade (2000-2010), we saw the number of new antibiotic approvals drop successively each year; FDA changed the rules of the approval process without providing public guidance; many antibiotic companies fled the therapeutic area; investments were redirected to oncology projects which had a much better ROI. The IDSA Continue reading The 10 x ’20 Goal – Are We On Track?

Aztreonam PLUS Avibactam – A New Bright Star in the Night Sky

Looking at the molecular structure of ceftazidime (CTAZ) and aztreonam (ATM), the differences are clear, and so are the similarities: ATM does not have the cephem ring structure of CTAZ, only the 4-member beta-lactam ring.  However, the side chains are identical in both CTAZ and ATM which explains the overlapping Continue reading Aztreonam PLUS Avibactam – A New Bright Star in the Night Sky