University of Michigan and UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences partner for International Conference on Polymyxins

The conference is a gathering of the world’s opinion-leaders to discuss the cutting-edge of polymyxin research and clinical use. Over 30 presentations by world leaders were provided to: highlight recent accomplishments in the field, deliver updates on toxicity, describe advances in the use of polymyxin-based combinations, summarize regulatory and world health perspectives of polymyxin use, discuss recent discoveries in polymyxin resistance, provide updates regarding susceptibility testing, project the future role of polymyxins, and provide a roadmap for future research.

Brian Tsuji, PharmD, professor, pharmacy practice, was a co-director for the conference. He also presented “Polymyxin PK/PD: To Infinity and Beyond,” as part of the “Next Generation PK/PD/TD” session.  Dr. Tsuji’s leadership at the Polymyxins conference supports research work in his Laboratory for Antimicrobial Pharmcodynamics, where he and his team design novel research approaches to combat bacterial resistance.

The polymyxin antibiotics (polymyxin E (colistin) and polymyxin B) have seen a recent resurgence in clinical use due to the sharp rise in infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens that are not susceptible to most antimicrobial agents. This important role, as a last-line antibiotic, has recently led the World Health Organization to add the polymyxins to their “Highest Priority” tier of critically important antimicrobials for human medicine. However, since the polymyxins became available in the 1950s when there was substantially less regulatory rigor needed for drug approval than today, significant opportunity and need remains to optimize the use of polymyxins to improve patient care.