Most read article(s)
Mechanisms of Action: Physiological EffectsMechanism-of-Action Classification of Antibiotics by Global Transcriptome ProfilingAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an ever-growing public health problem worldwide. The low rate of antibiotic discovery coupled with the rapid spread of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens is causing a global health crisis. To facilitate the drug discovery processes, we present a large-scale study of reference antibiotic challenge bacterial transcriptome profiles, which included 37 antibiotics across 6 mechanisms of actions (MOAs) and...
MinireviewFact versus Fiction: a Review of the Evidence behind Alcohol and Antibiotic InteractionsMany antibiotics carry caution stickers that warn against alcohol consumption. Data regarding concurrent use are sparse. An awareness of data that address this common clinical scenario is important so health care professionals can make informed clinical decisions and address questions in an evidence-based manner. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the evidence behind alcohol warnings issued for many common...
Editor's Pick PerspectiveNew Perspectives on Antimicrobial Agents: Remdesivir Treatment for COVID-19Remdesivir was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Remdesivir is the prodrug of an adenosine analogue that inhibits viral replication of several RNA virus families, including Coronaviridae. Preclinical data in animal models of coronavirus diseases, including COVID-19, have demonstrated that early treatment with remdesivir...
MinireviewUpdated Approaches against SARS-CoV-2Novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lies behind the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is a growing understanding of SARS-CoV-2 in virology, epidemiology, and clinical management strategies. However, no anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug or vaccine has been officially approved due to the absence of adequate evidence. Scientists are racing to develop a treatment for COVID-19. Recent studies...
Antiviral AgentsA Prospective, Randomized, Open-Label Trial of Early versus Late Favipiravir Therapy in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19Favipiravir is an oral broad-spectrum inhibitor of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase that is approved for treatment of influenza in Japan. We conducted a prospective, randomized, open-label, multicenter trial of favipiravir for the treatment of COVID-19 at 25 hospitals across Japan. Eligible patients were adolescents and adults admitted with COVID-19 who were asymptomatic or mildly ill and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (...
Editor's Pick Letter to the EditorNafamostat Mesylate Blocks Activation of SARS-CoV-2: New Treatment Option for COVID-19
Editor's Pick Antiviral AgentsIdentification of Antiviral Drug Candidates against SARS-CoV-2 from FDA-Approved DrugsDrug repositioning is the only feasible option to immediately address the COVID-19 global challenge. We screened a panel of 48 FDA-approved drugs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which were preselected by an assay of SARS-CoV. We identified 24 potential antiviral drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Some drug candidates showed very low 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s), and in...
Editor's Pick Antiviral AgentsA Randomized Clinical Trial of the Efficacy and Safety of Interferon β-1a in Treatment of Severe COVID-19To the best of our knowledge, there is no published study on the use of interferon β-1a (IFN β-1a) in the treatment of severe COVID-19. In this randomized clinical trial, the efficacy and safety of IFN β-1a were evaluated in patients with severe COVID-19. Forty-two patients in the interferon group received IFN β-1a in addition to the national protocol medications (hydroxychloroquine plus lopinavir-ritonavir or atazanavir-ritonavir)....
MinireviewA Guide to Understanding Antimicrobial Drug Dosing in Critically Ill Patients on Renal Replacement Therapy...A careful management of antimicrobials is essential in the critically ill with acute kidney injury, especially if renal replacement therapy is required. Acute kidney injury may lead per se to clinically significant modifications of drugs’ pharmacokinetic parameters, and the need for renal replacement therapy represents a further variable that should be considered to avoid inappropriate antimicrobial therapy.