Edited by Douglas Harbrecht

RHONE SUBMITS A NEW ANTIBIOTIC TO THE FDA

Here's some potentially good news in the fight against nasty microbes: On Sept. 8, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer announced that it was submitting a new-drug application to the Food & Drug Administration, seeking an O.K. for what it calls a revolutionary antibiotic named Synercid.

The drug, if approved, could be a major new weapon against infections acquired in hospitals, including those commonly known as staph bacterial infections.

Alarm has been growing in the medical community over the threat posed by bacteria that have developed resistance to many commonly prescribed antibiotics. Even more sobering are recent reports of bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin, typically the last line of defense against some deadly hospital-acquired infections. A spokesman for Rhone-Poulenc Rorer says the company is asking for accelerated approval from the FDA.

By Amy Barrett in Philadelphia