News in brief - Oct. 11, 2004

Drug-resistant bacteria meets phage therapy - Tobacco trial redux - CDC reinstates full pneumococcal vaccine recommendations - FDA committee recommends approval of meningococcal disease shot

Drug-resistant bacteria meets phage therapy

An improved understanding of bacteriophages may lead to a new technique to control drug-resistant bacteria.

A report in the Sept. 23 Nature said researchers found bacteriophages contain genes that allow them to quickly change their proteins to bind to different cell receptors. They believe this discovery could lead to the use of genetically engineered phages to treat bacterial infections that have become resistant to antibiotics.

"Phage therapy has been practiced for nearly a hundred years in parts of the world, even in the United States in the first half of the 20th century," said Jeffery F. Miller, PhD, professor and chair of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles. "But now we think we can engineer bacteriophages to function as 'dynamic' antimicrobial agents. This could provide us with a renewable resource of smart antibiotics for treating bacterial diseases."

Tobacco trial redux

The largest lawsuit yet against the tobacco industry began in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 21. The government is seeking $280 billion in industry profits as well as new regulations that guide how tobacco is produced, sold and marketed.

The government is alleging that cigarette companies engaged in a scheme to defraud the public over the past 50 years in violation of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act. The amount of money being sought is slightly more than was gained in the 1998 tobacco settlement in the case brought by states attorneys general.

The tobacco companies claim that the new suit is unwarranted.

The companies note that the earlier judgment caused them to change behavior by pulling ads from magazines distributed to young people and posting information about quitting on their Web sites.

However, organizations like the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids charge that tobacco companies are continuing to target young people with their ads and to mislead consumers with unproven claims that there are so-called "safer" cigarettes that carry less risk.

CDC reinstates full pneumococcal vaccine recommendations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month restored its advice to give all children the full series of four doses of Prevnar pneumococcal vaccine.

Earlier this year, the agency had withdrawn recommendations for the third and fourth doses because of production problems with the vaccine's sole manufacturer, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. The third dose was reinstated in July.

The CDC is also recommending prioritizing catch-up vaccinations for children younger than 5 years who have high-risk conditions such as diabetes or sickle cell disease and who had not received the full series. Healthy children should also receive any missed shots, most likely at their next regular doctor visit.

Wyeth promised to aid in efforts to vaccinate children who may have missed out.

"Moving forward, we will focus on alerting doctors and parents about the reinstated four-dose recommendation to help ensure that children who may have missed doses during the shortage receive their remaining age-appropriate doses," said Joe Mahady, president of Wyeth North America and Global Business.

FDA committee recommends approval of meningococcal disease shot

The Food and Drug Administration's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended that Menactra, the first quadrivalent conjugate meningococcal vaccine, be approved by the agency, according to a statement issued in September by the product's manufacturer, Aventis Pasteur.

The FDA is not bound by such recommendations, although it usually follows them.

The vaccine would protect those ages 11 to 55 against meningitis and sepsis caused by four of the most common groups of meningococcal bacteria. The currently available vaccine only includes three groups and provides protection for three to five years. The new vaccine may last longer, although that is expected to be the subject of studies after approval.

"We are very pleased with the positive response," said Michael Decker, MD, MPH, vice president of scientific and medical affairs at Aventis. "If licensed by the FDA, we intend to have the vaccine available as quickly as possible."

The company is building a new factory in Swiftwater, Pa., in order to meet expected demand.