Wyeth is to quash stubborn bacterial germs

Hospitals have a new weapon in their fight to quash stubborn bacterial germs that have become resistant to today's &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/12415_drugs.html ' target=_blank>antibiotics.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Wyeth Pharmaceuticals' Tygacil (tigecycline), derived from the old tetracycline family of antibacterial medicines.

Tygacil was approved for treating certain abdominal and &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/world/2001/01/15/1997.html ' target=_blank>skin infections, though it can fight a range of bacterial ills, Wyeth said. New medicines are needed as bacteria evolve and become resistant to modern drugs. Staph infections often contracted in hospitals are a prime example, reports the Forbes.