A new antibiotic designed to tackle hospital "superbug" infections has been licensed in the UK. It has been hailed as the most important antibiotic developed in the past 20 years.
Linezolid, which offers new hope to patients infected with superbugs such as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), is available in the State on a "named patient basis" pending full approval by the Irish Medicines Board.
Dr Ed Smyth, consultant microbiologist at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, who is chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Disease Surveillance Centre, yesterday welcomed the antibiotic.
"Patients with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)have already benefited from the new drug and it is showing good success relative to our previous treatment options," he said.
Vancomycin is currently the last line in treatment for MRSA and it is only a matter of time before vancomycin resistance is seen, according to Dr Smyth. Now Linezolid is available to meet this challenge.
The Republic has one of the highest rates of MRSA in north-western Europe and the superbug is responsible for 30 per cent of hospital-acquired blood infections.
It is anticipated the new antibiotic will help reduce the significant costs associated with keeping antibiotic-resistant patients in hospital for long periods.