Broad-spectrum therapeutic

A broad-spectrum therapeutic is a type of antimicrobial active against multiple types of pathogens, such as an antibiotic that is effective against both bacteria and viruses.[1] The opposite of a broad-spectrum drug is a narrow-spectrum therapeutic, which only treats a specific or very similar set of pathogens.

Such therapeutics have been suggested as potential emergency treatments for pandemics.[2] Azithromycin and nitazoxanide are the first broad-spectrum therapeutics discovered.[3][4]

See also

References
  1. "NIH funds development of new broad-spectrum therapeutics". National Institutes of Health (NIH). 2015-09-18. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  2. "Biodefense Strategic Plan | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases". www.niaid.nih.gov. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  3. Firth, Anton; Prathapan, Praveen (2020-12-01). "Azithromycin: The First Broad-spectrum Therapeutic". European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 207: 112739. doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112739. ISSN 0223-5234. PMC 7434625. PMID 32871342.
  4. Firth, Anton; Prathapan, Praveen (2021-01-01). "Broad-spectrum therapeutics: A new antimicrobial class". Current Research in Pharmacology and Drug Discovery. 2: 100011. doi:10.1016/j.crphar.2020.100011. ISSN 2590-2571.
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