Pfizer is getting single-dose Azithromycin ready for battle
They recently submitted a trio of studies to the FDA, aiming for indications in acute bronchitis, sinusitis, and pneumonia. The obvious benefit of increased compliance is cited:
“”Single treatment is a major advance,”” commented Victor L. Yu, M.D., chief of infectious diseases at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Pittsburgh. ““In the real world, compliance is an issue.””““Given the efficacy of a one-time dose and the assured compliance, the hope would be that this type of regimen can help minimize the emergence of antibiotic resistance,”” commented Michael Niederman, M.D., chairman of the department of medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, N.Y.
As I have written before (see Fast-food antibiotics), it makes it that much easier for physicians to throw around broader-than-required spectrum antibiotics around with the magic wand of a single pill.
In the case of sinusitis, there are many studies suggesting that older generic, cheaper antibiotics are just as effective as the newer ones. However, you can be sure Pfizer will DTC market the hell out of the single-dose regimen (“Why take 20 pills, when you can take just one?”), leading to patients demanding these broader-than-needed antibiotics. And that is supposed to cut down on bacterial resistance?
