The search for new antibiotics

 

A collaborative research team from the University of Oklahoma, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Merck & Co. published an opinion article in the journal, Nature Chemical Biology, that addresses the gap in the discovery of new antibiotics.

 

"The rapid spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in clinics challenges our modern medicine and the traditional approaches to antibiotic discovery fail to generate new drugs needed for treatment of antibiotic resistant infections," Zgurskaya said. "The current COVID-19 pandemic further magnifies this problem because patients in intensive care units are particularly vulnerable to such infections ... (our) team is working on developing new tools to guide the discovery and optimization of new antibacterial agents."

 

Zgurskaya adds that the increasing frequency of antibiotic resistance has created a significant health care challenge and will progressively worsen without innovative solutions.

"In particular, Gram-negative pathogens present both biological and chemical challenges that hinder the discovery of new antibacterial drugs," Zgurskaya said. "As a result of these challenges, intensive screening campaigns have led to few successes, highlighting the need for new approaches to identify regions of chemical space that are specifically relevant to antibacterial drug discovery."

 

In the article, the research team provides an overview of emerging insights into this problem and outline a general approach for researchers and scientists to address it.

 

"The overall goal is to develop robust cheminformatic tools to predict Gram-negative permeation and efflux, which can then be used to guide medicinal chemistry campaigns and the design of antibacterial discovery libraries," Zgurskaya said.

 

See:

 

Shibin Zhao, Justyna W. Adamiak, Vincent Bonifay, Jitender Mehla, Helen I. Zgurskaya, Derek S. Tan. Defining new chemical space for drug penetration into Gram-negative bacteria. Nature Chemical Biology, 2020; 16 (12): 1293 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-00674-6

 

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)

Buying Antibiotics Online in the UK: What You Need to Know

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The online pharmaceutical industry is under scrutiny after a 2017 study showed that nearly half of 20 online pharmacies observed don’t ask for a prescription when selling antibiotics. This practice can seriously impact the effort of the medical community to prevent microbial resistance due to the improper use of antibiotics.

What is the legal requirement to sell medication online in the UK?

The law requires every online medicine dispensary to register with MHRA and GPhC. These agencies regulate the selling and distribution of drugs to consumers. Of course, anytime you want to buy antibiotics online, if the store isn’t registered with any of these agencies, it should be a red flag that warns buyers about unethical pharmaceutical practices.

Fortunately, it doesn’t appear to be dire for all consumers. There are plenty of online pharmacies that ensure to require buyers to present their prescription before selling any prescription medication. There are also several ways by which an online pharmacy can verify the suitability of selling antibiotic and other prescription meds to a consumer.

·         Some online pharmacies let customers choose the dosage, type, and treatment duration when buying antibiotics. This process is dangerous as it puts the consumers at risk. Without a doctor’s script, they could end up taking too much or too little of the right medicine.

·         There are online pharmacies that use a process where the consumer can click on symptoms, and the website will direct them to the type of antibiotic to buy before checking out. Once again, this process is dangerous and very subjective.

·         The right process involves allowing the consumer to fill out a questionnaire which will be evaluated by a doctor who will assess the consumer’s suitability to buy antibiotics.

In addition to a questionnaire, online pharmacies also need to educate the consumer about the proper and safe use of antibiotics. There needs to be detailed information on potential side effects, especially when taken along with other prescription medication.

What results from improper use of antibiotics?

Improper use of antibiotics results in microbial resistance. Microbes often mutate and develop resistance to a medication when the patient doesn’t take the right dosage or complete the recommended treatment period. We’ve all heard about superbugs which no longer respond to common antibiotics available today. Unfortunately, getting infected by antibiotic-resistant microbes is fatal as there’s no medication available to treat the patient. Also, it will take time for researchers to discover new antibiotics that can cure these new infections.

The problem with common infections is the misconception that when you’re no longer experiencing symptoms, you can stop taking medication. Also, many people today tend to self-medicate based on the limited information they find online.

The bottom line

Online pharmacies are available to provide consumers with a more convenient way to buy medication. But, consumers should exercise caution and be more conscious about protecting their health. Although it’s easy to research symptoms online, these aren’t as accurate as visiting a doctor and getting a thorough examination. If you want to buy antibiotics online, make sure to obtain a prescription first and buy from a pharmacy registered with health regulatory agencies.

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)