Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/10/antimicrobial-resistance-scan-oct-24-2016
Antimicrobial Resistance Scan for Oct 24, 2016
New C difficile drug; Antifungal stewardship
Filed Under:
Antimicrobial Stewardship; Clostridium difficile; Fungal Infection
[h=3]FDA approves new C difficile drug[/h] The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), according to a news release its manufacturer, Merck.
The drug, Zinplava (bezlotoxumab), was approved Friday for the treatment of recurrent CDI in adults who are also receiving antibacterial drug therapy for CDI and are at high risk of CDI recurrence. Zinplava is a human clonal antibody that works by binding itself to a toxin produced by C difficile bacteria (toxin B) and neutralizing it. Merck says the drug should be available early next year.
Merck says the adverse reactions reported in association with the drug include heart failure (primarily in patients with underlying congestive heart failure), nausea, pyrexia, and headache. Patients with underlying congestive heart failure are advised to use the drug only when the benefit outweighs the risk. Zinplava should be used only in conjunction with antibacterial treatment for CDI.
CDI, which can cause mild-to-severe diarrhea, is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDI was responsible for nearly half a million illnesses in the United States in 2011, and 29,000 patients died within 30 days of infection. Recurrent CDI tends to affect patients over the age of 65 who have compromised immune systems.
Oct 21 Merck press release
[h=3]Journal supplement provides overview of antifungal stewardship[/h] The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy has released a November supplement devoted to antifungal stewardship.
The supplement is an open-access compilation of information presented at the November 2015 meeting of the Continuing Antifungal Research and Education (CARE) program, which brought together infectious disease physicians, medical microbiologists, pharmacologists, and other experts to participate in a series of lectures and clinical case presentations on the challenges of managing invasive fungal diseases (IFDs).
Like antibiotic stewardship, antifungal stewardship aims to preserve the future effectiveness of antifungal agents and improve patient outcomes. While IFDs occur less frequently than infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria, the management of IFDs poses unique challenges, including high case-fatality rates and high drug costs. These challenges, plus the emerging threat of antifungal resistance, are the principle rationale behind antifungal stewardship.
The supplement assesses the current landscape for the treatment of IFDs such as candidiasis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, fusariosis, and mucormycosis; describes the different strategies for effective antifungal stewardship programs; and evaluates how such programs have been implemented in different clinical settings and in different regions of the world.
November J Antimicrob Chemother supplement
Antimicrobial Resistance Scan for Oct 24, 2016
New C difficile drug; Antifungal stewardship
Filed Under:
Antimicrobial Stewardship; Clostridium difficile; Fungal Infection
[h=3]FDA approves new C difficile drug[/h] The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), according to a news release its manufacturer, Merck.
The drug, Zinplava (bezlotoxumab), was approved Friday for the treatment of recurrent CDI in adults who are also receiving antibacterial drug therapy for CDI and are at high risk of CDI recurrence. Zinplava is a human clonal antibody that works by binding itself to a toxin produced by C difficile bacteria (toxin B) and neutralizing it. Merck says the drug should be available early next year.
Merck says the adverse reactions reported in association with the drug include heart failure (primarily in patients with underlying congestive heart failure), nausea, pyrexia, and headache. Patients with underlying congestive heart failure are advised to use the drug only when the benefit outweighs the risk. Zinplava should be used only in conjunction with antibacterial treatment for CDI.
CDI, which can cause mild-to-severe diarrhea, is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDI was responsible for nearly half a million illnesses in the United States in 2011, and 29,000 patients died within 30 days of infection. Recurrent CDI tends to affect patients over the age of 65 who have compromised immune systems.
Oct 21 Merck press release
[h=3]Journal supplement provides overview of antifungal stewardship[/h] The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy has released a November supplement devoted to antifungal stewardship.
The supplement is an open-access compilation of information presented at the November 2015 meeting of the Continuing Antifungal Research and Education (CARE) program, which brought together infectious disease physicians, medical microbiologists, pharmacologists, and other experts to participate in a series of lectures and clinical case presentations on the challenges of managing invasive fungal diseases (IFDs).
Like antibiotic stewardship, antifungal stewardship aims to preserve the future effectiveness of antifungal agents and improve patient outcomes. While IFDs occur less frequently than infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria, the management of IFDs poses unique challenges, including high case-fatality rates and high drug costs. These challenges, plus the emerging threat of antifungal resistance, are the principle rationale behind antifungal stewardship.
The supplement assesses the current landscape for the treatment of IFDs such as candidiasis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, fusariosis, and mucormycosis; describes the different strategies for effective antifungal stewardship programs; and evaluates how such programs have been implemented in different clinical settings and in different regions of the world.
November J Antimicrob Chemother supplement