The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy
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The global burden of antibiotic resistance is tremendous and, without new anti-infective strategies, will continue to increase in the coming decades. Despite the growing need for new antibiotics, few pharmaceutical companies today retain active antibacterial drug discovery programmes. One reason is that it is scientifically challenging to discover new antibiotics that are active against the antibiotic-resistant bacteria of current clinical concern. ⋯ Increased global calls to minimize the overuse of antibiotics, the cost of meeting regulatory requirements and the low prices of currently marketed antibiotics are strong deterrents to antibacterial drug development programmes. New economic models that create incentives for the discovery of new antibiotics and yet reconcile these incentives with responsible antibiotic use are long overdue. DRIVE-AB is a €9.4 million public-private consortium, funded by the EU Innovative Medicines Initiative, that aims to define a standard for the responsible use of antibiotics and to develop, test and recommend new economic models to incentivize investment in producing new anti-infective agents.
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J. Antimicrob. Chemother. · Dec 2014
Multicenter Study Observational StudyA multicentre cohort study on colonization and infection with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in high-risk patients with haematological malignancies.
Bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by enterobacteria remain a leading cause of mortality in patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. The rate and type of colonization and infection with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) and their mode of transmission in German cancer centres is largely unknown. ⋯ Even though BSI with ESBL-E is still rare in this high-risk population, colonization rates are substantial and vary considerably between centres. In-hospital transmission of ESBL-E as assessed by molecular typing was the exception.
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J. Antimicrob. Chemother. · Nov 2014
Clinical validation of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for detection of invasive candidiasis in intensive care unit patients.
New techniques, such as those based on multiplex quantitative real-time PCR (MRT-PCR), can improve the detection of invasive candidiasis (IC). ⋯ MRT-PCR appears to be a useful test for confirming a diagnosis of IC in critically ill patients, especially in those with deep-seated disease. Its high sensitivity and positive predictive value make it a much more efficient tool for the management of IC than other diagnostic procedures and clinical scores.
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J. Antimicrob. Chemother. · Nov 2014
ReviewThe World Health Assembly resolution on antimicrobial resistance.
Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem that can only be tackled successfully through strengthened international partnerships. A concerted political, scientific and media campaign has garnered support for the recent World Health Assembly resolution on antimicrobial resistance, mandating the WHO to develop a global action plan. ⋯ Key themes are communication, prevention of infection, using knowledge to guide action, sustainability and optimizing the use of antimicrobial medicines and diagnostic devices. Implementation of the global action plan will require member states to make a commitment to developing national action plans and strengthening capacity, building on collaborations between the WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health, the World Bank, Codex Alimentarius and the Transatlantic Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance.