The Ketek Antibiotic Quandary

Ketek antibiotic drugs have been at the center of a firestorm. This is because there are a number of health hazards associated with these antibiotics. This istremendously unfortunate, as scores of afflicted individuals had hoped Ketek antibiotic drugs would alleviate their problems. Instead, the Ketek antibiotic drugs yielded the inverse effect: the drugs actually made their condition worse. Part of the problem derives from the fact that testing requirements for approving new antibiotics on the marketplace are not exactly all that thorough.For example, as the rules are currently written new antibiotic do not have to bring anything new to the table. That is, they do not have to provide any improvements on pre-existing medications that are currently on the market. There are a number of reasons for this not the least of which being the inclusion of new drugs provide more choice for patients. Also, it certainly doesn't hurt the economy that new antibiotics are brought into the marketplace.The inclusion of a successful new antibiotic can significantly increase a pharmaceutical company's stock price. However, there is a risk of a negative result as well as evidenced in the problems associated with Ketek antibiotic drugs. That is, it is not necessaryfor Ketek to bring anything new to the table. It simply needed to provide aresult consistent with products that are already on the market. Had the Ketek antibiotic drugs been required to bring advancements to the table it might have discovered its adverse side effects and corrected them or it wouldhave been kept off the market completely. Perhaps, the unfortunate situationthat has come out of the Ketek antibiotic drug would have been avoided undera more optimum rules and regulations.  This is not to infer that all problems associated with any particular drugscan be averted with minor rule changes. However, it would be safe to say more safety-oriented rules that raise the bar of performance higher on new drugs into the marketplace would potentially eliminate a number of hazards.