Tons of Antibiotics chasing you...

Did you know that every year more than 22,321 tons of
Antibiotics are produced in United States alone ?

Around 14,374 tons are used by humans while 6,562 tons
in Animal therapeutics and 1,384 tons as growth promoters
in farming.

If enough precautions are not used in Food producing
animals, another major chunk of antibiotics may too chase
you through food. The figures given above does not
include import into the country which should again jack up
the consumption data significantly.

Moreover, US is less populated compared to many other
countries. In that sense, figures will be highly alarming if
you consider the Global production, trade and uptake by
humans and in Animal Health care segment.

The worries are compounded by the fact that very few
innovative antibiotics have been introduced in the human
medicine in the past 20 years. Many of the newer antibiotic
names that you come across these days are either, better
formulated drug delivery mechanisms or synthetic
derivatives of age old chemicals contained in pharma-
ceutical classifications favouring cross resistance as well.

Also, veterinary and human medical practitioners have a
wider role in preventing the abuse of anti-microbials. At
least, a few of them follow a hit and run strategy by always
using the ' top end' broad spectrum groups of antibiotics
for immediate benefits thus aiding drug resistance. It is
widely accepted that, the more antibiotics are used, the
greater will be the evolutionary pressure on microbes
to develop and spread cross resistance.

Next time, when you appreciate sales growth and invest in
equity shares of pharma companies, just think over the
tons of antibiotics chasing you !

                                                                                           November 2006
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