Cipro Alternatives Soothe Anthrax Fears, According to FIND/SVP.Business Editors and Medical/Health Writers NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 9, 2001 As anthrax anthrax (ăn`thrăks), acute infectious disease of animals that can be secondarily transmitted to humans. It is caused by a bacterium (Bacillus anthracis fears sweep the country, Cipro has mistakenly been portrayed as the only treatment for this potentially deadly disease. But "anthrax can be treated with a wide variety of antibiotics," says FIND/SVP healthcare expert Barbara Inglese. "Cipro is just one of many antibiotics that are effective against any potential anthrax outbreak." Penicillin, tetracycline tetracycline (tĕ'trəsī`klēn), any of a group of antibiotics produced by bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. They are effective against a wide range of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, interfering with protein and doxycycline doxycycline /doxy·cy·cline/ (dok?se-si´klen) a semisynthetic broad-spectrum tetracycline antibiotic, active against a wide range of gram-positive and gram-negative organisms; used also as d. calcium and d. hyclate. are just a few of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. ) approved drugs available for treating anthrax." Soon after reports of the first anthrax infections, Cipro, manufactured by German pharmaceutical giant Bayer, was seen by a fearful public as the only cure for a potential anthrax epidemic. American and Canadian government officials negotiated with Bayer to produce hundreds of millions of Cipro doses, and sell them far below their normal cost. "The initial fear that the anthrax strain was bio-engineered for resistance to older antibiotics led to a rush for Cipro, more commonly used as a powerful remedy for urinary tract and respiratory infections, and traveler's diarrhea Traveler's Diarrhea Definition The occurrence of multiple loose bowel movements in someone traveling to an area outside their usual surroundings (usually from temperate industrialized regions to tropical areas), is known as Traveler's diarrhea (TD). ," said Inglese, noting a surge of interest in anthrax in the 5,000 executive inquiries answered monthly by FIND/SVP, the leading business advisory service. "But laboratory analysis shows that these strains are not resistant to these antibiotics at all." Drug manufacturers were quick to offer their antibiotics to the government after the initial reports. Lilly, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), colloquially referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical corporation, formed by a 1989 merger between pharmaceutical companies Bristol-Myers Company, founded in 1887 by William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers in Clinton, NY (both were , GlaxoSmithKline, J&J, Merck, Aventis, Ivax and others announced their willingness to provide antibiotics known as anti-anthrax agents. These facts have not been lost on government officials as they have been speeding up the approval process for other anthrax agents. On October 26th, IVAX Corporation was awarded a government contract to supply more than 1.2 billion tablets of the company's brand equivalent of doxycycline. Shortly before the contract was awarded, the FDA approved doxycycline for treating all forms of anthrax; inhaled, cutaneous cutaneous /cu·ta·ne·ous/ (ku-ta´ne-us) pertaining to the skin. cu·ta·ne·ous adj. Of, relating to, or affecting the skin. Cutaneous Pertaining to the skin. and ingested in·gest tr.v. in·gest·ed, in·gest·ing, in·gests 1. To take into the body by the mouth for digestion or absorption. See Synonyms at eat. 2. . Bayer was one of the first to welcome this announcement, and said this should reassure the public that there are more than enough resources to treat an outbreak. The Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) are currently working with the FDA and Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to determine the capabilities of antibiotics useful in fighting anthrax. In addition to those drugs already approved, they are also reviewing many newer antibiotics in the same class as Cipro, including Tequin, Levaquin, Augmentin, Biaxin and Cleocin. Despite new reassurance that there will be enough antibiotics available to treat any anthrax outbreak, Inglese warns that taking antibiotics as a preventative for anthrax can be potentially dangerous because of the powerful nature of the drugs and their potential side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. . The FDA is trying to discourage the public from taking any antibiotic for the prevention of anthrax without the specific advice of a doctor and a clear indication that they may have been exposed to anthrax. FIND/SVP has been helping executives make more informed decisions since 1969. Our healthcare and pharmaceutical consultants have over 100 years combined industry experience, and provide competitive intelligence and custom research to suit clients' individual needs. FIND/SVP is located in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . More information is available by calling 212-645-4500 or visiting http://www.findsvp.com. |
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