Pneumonia drug for anti-bioterrorism
An antibiotic that a biotech company hopes to market to fight pneumonia will also undergo government-backed testing as a possible weapon against bioterrorism
Cethromycin, which is in late-stage clinical trial as a pneumonia treatment, has also shown effectiveness against anthrax, tuleremia and plague, said John Flavin, president of Woodridge-based Advanced Life Sciences Inc.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has agreed to test the antibiotic against several pathogenic strains that might be used by bioterrorists, he said.
Earlier this year, tests showed that cethromycin was 100 per cent effective in preventing death in monkeys exposed to anthrax. The institute will use government funds to test the antibiotic's efficacy as part of the process used to determine what drugs the government will stockpile for homeland security, said Flavin. www.chicagotribune.com
