EMA completes review of polymyxins and issues updated guidance

The European Medicines Agency has completed its review of polymyxin-based medicines and issued its recommendations for safe use in patients with serious infections that are resistant to standard antibiotics.

It has recommended changing the information on products containing the antibiotics colistin or colistimethate sodium (known as polymyxins). Polymyxin-based products have been available since the 1960s but their use decreased quickly due to the availability of antibiotics with fewer potential side-effects.

This limited use has contributed to the fact that colistimethate sodium has retained activity against a number of bacteria which have become resistant to commonly-used antibiotics, which has led to a resurgence in recent years to the use of polymyxins in patients with few other options.