No matter what antibiotic you throw at those pesky bacteria they always seem to bounce back and develop resistance. A growing fear that a superbug may occur that is resistant to all known antibiotics and can cause severe disease is present in the medical profession. In fact researchers are now trying to discover ways to slow the growth of bacteria that are resistant to the commonly used antibiotics.
These studies are definately needed. The practice of using antibiotics to treat infections that do not require antibiotics should be stopped. Buying antibiotics over-the-counter is cheaper however it oftentimes leads to treating every illness with that antibiotic. In a relatively short time bacteria resistant to that particular antibiotic raise their ugly cell walls.
Another common means of delaying the super bug epidemic is to develop new classes of antibiotics. This method has worked quite well in the past. Unfortunately, a new class of antibiotics has not been brought to the market in nearly 25 years. A recent article in the Infectious Disease News reported a new class of antibiotic is nearly ready to be placed on the United States market. Rhone-Poulenc Rorer has obtained priority FDA review for an injectable drug called Synercid (a streptogramin). Priority review means that the FDA will speed along the review of the companies clinical studies to get the antibiotic to market quicker.
Streptogramin is an antibiotic Rhone-Poulenc Rorer has been working on for the past 10 years and it appears to be able to kill some of the most antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and drug-resistant pneumonia-causing bacteria to name just a few. This antibiotic is able to stop the bacteria's ability to make protein. If a bacteria can't make protein it eventually will die. Proteins are very important in helping a living organism get food, protect itself from its evironment, make more DNA, etc.
Hopefully, this antibiotic may delay the emergence of the superbug. Meanwhile, I hope studies will continue to determine how to stop the overuse of antibiotics and that strategies will be developed to allow us to continue to use the old time antibiotics for a few more decades.
How can you help? When your physician says sorry no antibiotic will treat this infection and you will get well in time. Don't demand some antibiotic. You will not get better any sooner and the cost of the antibiotic will
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