Antibiotics
used to treat a variety of common bacterial infections are becoming more
difficult to access, mostly because the drugs are less profitable for
manufacturers to produce and market.
Writing
in a commentary in Clinical Microbiology and Infection, researchers say the
problem is particularly acute for formulations needed to treat sick babies and
children.
They
say doctors increasingly have to use alternative antibiotic treatments, which
may have worse side-effects for patients, including encouraging the growth of
drug-resistant bacteria -- one of the greatest threats to public health.
The
lead author of the report is Céline Pulcini, Professor of Infectious Diseases
at Nancy University Hospital and University of Lorraine, France, and secretary
of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases'
(ESCMID) Study Group for Antibiotic Policies (ESGAP). The report was
co-authored by a group of experts from different organisations, including
ESCMID, Action on Antibiotic Resistance (ReAct), the International Society of
Chemotherapy, the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and the French
Infectious Diseases society (SPILF).
Prof.
Pulcini explained: "These are drugs that have been available for many
years but they are still effective for treating conditions such as skin
infections, cystitis and sore throat. Some of them also have a role to play in
tackling drug-resistant bacteria.
"However,
their patents expired many years ago and drug manufacturers may see them as
less attractive prospects to register, sell and market in countries around the
world."
See:
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle