All GLG News Analyses Filed Under: Infectious Disease

-Rotateq is a second-generation vaccine to prevent rotavirus. Merck is now working with governments across the world to try to expand its use.-The prior product was pulled off the market due to an association with intussusception.  -The FDA is analyzing case reports of infants developing intussusception...

"Topical Microbicides" refers to agents applied topically (in vagina, in condom, etc) to prevent HIV and other STD. This article refers to the halting of two studies of a microbicide called cellulose sulfate, which had previously showed promise. However, in one trial women applying it into vagina before...

Pafuramidine is an exciting new drug for the treatment of the early stage of sleeping sickness. If it proves to have good activity against African trypanosomiasis, then this would become the first and only orally bioavailable drug available for the treatment of this neglected disease. New treatments...

The law above will encourage many companies to re-enter the vaccine market which they deserted because of fear of litigation, which has been mostly frivolous.This will soon abolish the problems with Flu vaccine shortage and may also break monopoly and lead to cheaper vaccines.

We can prevent better than we can cure sometimes. Because of litigation many companies have left the vaccine market. This should help.

- Pentacel is Sanofi's entry into the new multiple-antigen market- The space is already occupied by Glaxo's Pediarix, which covers almost the same diseases but was approved in the US 2 years ago.- There's room for both, but both will need successors as desire grows for a single all-in-one "supershot"...

-Action was taken this week to remove the potential of lawsuits over side effects from drug companies developing avian flu vaccines-This is one of the few inducements that Washington can give that matters to pharmaceutical makers that may encourage them to either get into research for flu drugs or to...

With our use and overuse of antibiotics, we now have various resistant organisms, including MRSA. We now need to use drugs that work against this form of staph, if staph is suspected. We are still fortunate that we have oral agents and IV agents that work and are not solely dependent on Vanco or other...

1. In the Emergency Department or in an admitting ward, physicians must decide if a patient with a presumed staphylococcal infection has MRSA or methicillin susceptible Staph, and choose antibiotics accordingly.2. This study suggests that it is impossible to tell clinically - therefore, empiric antibiotics...

Nosocomial pneumonia secondary to MRSA is serious infection with increasing incidence and high mortality.This study showed that high dose Vancomycin did NOT decrease mortality and may be associated with higher renal toxicityAlternatives are needed since Vancomycin has poor lung tissue penetration.