The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded a five-year, $1.9 million grant to a professor at Wayne State University in Detroit to explore treatments for infections caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium bacteria.
VREfm is one of the most problematic pathogens in hospitals, especially in immunodeficient patients, and constitutes an emerging local and global health crisis.
The recipient of the NIAID grant — Michael Rybak, PharmD, professor of pharmacy practice in WSU's Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and adjunct professor of medicine in WSU's School of Medicine — will study how various dosing regimens of daptomycin, a lipopeptide antibiotic, affect VREfm.
"Daptomycin has demonstrated bactericidal activity against VREfm in vitro, but the development of resistance during therapy has threatened its viability for future use," said Dr. Rybak. "Our research will evaluate several dosing regimens of DAP against VREfm strains in the DAP 'susceptible' minimum inhibitory concentration range with genetically proven proclivity for DAP resistance development."
His research team will also assess several beta-lactam antibiotics in combination with DAP against VREfm.
"Dr. Rybak is superbly qualified and well-positioned to conduct this important work," said Brian Crabtree, PharmD, chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at WSU.
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