This latest move comes despite warnings of potential harm to humans and the development of drug-resistant strains
March 3, 2007, 10:19PM
FDA poised to approve cattle antibiotic despite warnings
Agency likely will approve antibiotic despite fears it could harm people
By RICK WEISS
Washington Post
The government is on track to approve a new antibiotic to treat a pneumonia-like disease in cattle, despite warnings from health groups and a majority of the agency's own expert advisers that the decision will be dangerous — for people.
The drug, called cefquinome, belongs to a class of highly potent antibiotics that are among medicine's last defense against several serious human infections. No drug from that class has ever been approved in the United States for use in animals.
The American Medical Association and about a dozen other health groups warned the Food and Drug Administration that giving cefquinome to animals would probably speed the emergence of microbes resistant to that important class of antibiotic, as has happened with other drugs. Those super-microbes could then spread to people.
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The article then goes on to relate this to an earlier controversy involve a class of antibiotics previously approved for use in poultry that resulted in drug resistent strains developing...
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Before long, doctors began finding fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of campylobacter in patients hospitalized with severe diarrhea. When studies showed a link to poultry, the FDA sought a ban. Abbott Laboratories pulled Saraflox, but Baytril's manufacturer, Bayer, pushed back.
Late in 2005, Bayer gave up, but not before fluoroquinolone resistance had spread further.
Great, more drug resistant bugs floating around. Thanks Bayer!
And on a related note, here's a few fun-facts about Bayer:
- From 1898 through 1910, cough medicine was a kid's best friend: "From 1898 through to 1910 heroin was marketed as a non-addictive morphine substitute and cough medicine for children. Bayer marketed heroin as a cure for morphine addiction before it was discovered that heroin is converted to morphine when metabolized in the liver. The company was somewhat embarrassed by this new finding and it became a historical blunder for Bayer."
- Bayer is one of the companies that emerged after WWII from the I.G. Farben industrial giant that formed by the backbone of the Nazi war machine.
- In 1984, Bayer introduced a version of a blood-clotting drug from hemophiliacs that was heat-treated to kill HIV. I continued selling old-non-treated stocks of the drug, leading to HIV infections in a number of countries.
- A few days after 9/11, Bayer defied expectations decided not to sell off its pharmaceutical division that had seen its stock drop 30% from its high. Five days later the still-unsolved anthrax attacks began and Bayer's stock rallied heavily as a result of its holdings of Cipro patent.
- And coming full circle, Cipro is a close chemical cousin of Baytril, the drug that was approved for use in poultry until 2005. Yay!
For this and many more Bayer fun-facts, check out Dave Emory's FTR#411—The Bayer Facts—I.G. Farben and the Politics of Murder.
Enjoy! :-)