Newswise — Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that invasive infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, may be twice as common as previously thought and could have mortality rates that would exceed those attributed to HIV/AIDS, emphysema, or homicide, according to a paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. For those covering medical news, PolyMedix makes available Dr. Eric McAllister, Vice President of Clinical Development and Chief Medical Officer of PolyMedix. Dr. McAllister believes new approaches are needed to fight not just this "super bug" but many bacterial infections. Needs include not only new therapeutics, but also new antimicrobial surfaces and devices. Dr. McAllister and the research team at PolyMedix are currently working on new forms of antibiotics that mimic the body's host defense proteins, and new polymers that contain antimicrobial agents, which can be applied to a wide array of materials including paints, plastics, and surfaces. These compounds and materials work in a completely different way from all current antibiotics. By mimicking the host defense proteins, these agents directly disrupt bacterial cell membranes, a mechanism that makes bacterial resistance unlikely to develop.
Biography on Expert Dr. Eric McAllister brings over twenty-five years of industry and clinical trial experience, most recently as Sr. Vice President of Clinical Development at CombinatoRx Inc. Previously with Sicor Pharmaceuticals, TAP Pharmaceuticals, Cholestech Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, G.D. Searle, and Syntex Pharmaceuticals, Dr. McAllister also spent seven years as a clinical investigator with MedStudies. Dr. McAllister received his M.D. from Dalhousie University, his D. Phil. (Ph.D.) degree from Oxford University, and was also a Rhodes Scholar. Dr. McAllister has worked on the development of such major pharmaceutical products as Lupron, Pravachol, Capoten, Kerlone, Cardene, Calan, Avandia, Actos, Teveten, and Atacand.
Dr. McAllister, Vice President of Clinical Development, serves as an expert resource on the following:- Bacterial resistance to antibiotics- Bacterial infections- Biomimetics
Dr. McAllister can address the following FAQs:- How does MRSA attack the body?- Why is MRSA so widespread in hospitals?- How has MRSA become drug resistant?- Why aren't conventional methods working to stop MRSA?- What new techniques are needed against MRSA?- Are self-sterilizing surfaces and materials needed to eradicate this problem in hospitals and common facilities?- Are the biomimetics the key to solving this?
PolyMedix focuses on developing novel therapeutic drug products for serious, life-threatening acute disorders. PolyMedix attacks these challenges with biomimetics - novel small molecule drugs and polymers which mimic the activity of proteins. These are designed with a proprietary computational technology platform, which was used to create its pipeline of drug programs, including unique anti-infective drugs for which bacterial resistance is unlikely to develop, and heptagonists for thrombosis and bleeding control. The body produces proteins to regulate its own functions, including the host defense proteins which we use to protect ourselves against bacterial attack. While some proteins have been commercialized as drugs, they all have significant limitations. They can only be given by injection, are very expensive and difficult to produce, are unstable and can cause immune system reactions, which reduce their effectiveness over time. PolyMedix is focused on the significant medical need and commercial opportunity of creating novel non-protein drugs which mimic protein activity.
RSS