Isolation and identification of new macrocyclic lactones from a genetically engineered strain Streptomyces bingchenggensis BCJ60
The Journal of Antibiotics advance online publication, October 26 2016. doi:10.1038/ja.2016.130
Authors: Jiansong Li, Shaoyong Zhang, Hui Zhang, Haiyan Wang, Ji Zhang, Anliang Chen, Jidong Wang & Wensheng Xiang
Antimicrobial stewardship programmes are increasingly being used to improve the quality of antimicrobial prescribing, with the dual aim of optimizing clinical outcomes and minimizing the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (JAC) is celebrating its 40th anniversary and, as part of activities to commemorate this event, this article highlights the contribution of JAC to antimicrobial stewardship. Papers published in JAC have contributed to the evidence base for stewardship, have highlighted educational and behavioural change initiatives aimed at improving antibiotic prescribing practice, and have actively sought to foster the practice of antimicrobial stewardship amongst its readers.
The treatment of invasive fungal diseases constitutes a significant unmet medical need. There are relatively few antifungal agents in clinical development and a paucity of novel targets. Morbidity and mortality remain high and clinical outcomes are compromised by submaximal efficacy, emergence of drug resistance and drug-related toxicity. Thus, new antifungal agents are urgently required. A deep understanding of exposure–response relationships underpins the development of safe and effective clinical regimens of any therapeutic agent. Pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) is increasingly recognized as a vital tool in the development of new antimicrobial agents and maximizes the probability that the right dose will be studied the first time. There is currently no information or agreement as to what constitutes an adequate PK/PD package for the development of a new antifungal agent. This review provides a summary of the achievements of antifungal PK/PD for the treatment of invasive candidiasis, invasive aspergillosis and cryptococcal meningoencephalitis, and outlines the necessary components of a PK/PD package for a new antifungal agent. Such information is critical for the accelerated and efficient development of new agents and enables improved clinical outcomes to be secured.
