IN THE HIGH desert city whose pure air drew many people with tuberculosis seeking a cure in the preantibiotic era, nearly 400 researchers met recently to talk about new drugs that are designed to treat recalcitrant infections.
The First International Conference on the Macrolides, Azalides and Streptogramins, held in Santa Fe, NM, held in recent days, brought together investigators from around the world. It was their first time to compare data on a neglected class of antibiotics that a variety of factors has now made "hot."
How hot? What about a one-shot, 100% effective treatment for genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection? Is excitement justified concerning what seems to be the most effective therapy yet against Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, Toxoplasmosis gondii, and other opportunistic infections that invade the immunocompromised human body? Will physicians welcome a well-tolerated, cost-effective cure for acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis?
Physicians Optimistic
The scientists who met in Santa Fe