A high chocolate consumption has been linked with increased body weight but also with reduced risks for the development of cardiometabolic disorders.
This study contributes important new insights into the chocolate consumption in a hospital ward environment and the half lives of two brands of chocolates. Continue reading this study and remember the results any time you contribute to the short survival time of chocolates on hospital wards or labs.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently released an Addendum to the guideline on the evaluation of medicinal products indicated for the treatment of bacterial infections. One of the most important aspects of the addendum is that it outlines a new approach facilitating the development of antibacterial agents targeted against multidrug-resistant pathogens where patients have very limited or no remaining treatment options. Accepting limited evidence of clinical safety and efficacy is strongly based on extensive preclinical and clinical PK/PD analyses. PK/PD studies may play a pivotal role in alternative study designs in indications where placebo controls are required as well as in limited pre-licensure clinical development programmes targeting multidrug-resistant pathogens.The field of PK/PD will be an essential pilar in the development of novel antibacterial drugs to treat infections due to multidrugresistant organisms that are currently uncommon or rare and for which there are few remaining therapeutic options.

Tissue concentrations again (Eng`s principle of medical procedures: „The easier it is to do, the harder it is to change.“)
Stein et al recently published a paper in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy reporting the tissue penetration of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and linezolid in patients with diabetic foot infection to support their use in the treatment of diabetic foot infections (JAC 2013; 68: 2852–2858). This study used tissue biopsy homogenates to determine the concentrations at the site of infection, a method that measures a mixture of total (bound+free) concentrations in intra-, extracellular and blood compartments where antibiotics and bacteria are not distributed evenly. It is difficult to discourage methods that are easy and cheap though they bring potenially misleading results.
ISAP and the ESCMID PK/PD study group submitted a response to JAC with the intention to raise awareness regarding methodological pitfalls of tissue concentration measurements.

The ISAP organizing committee invites young investigators to submit their abstracts (in ICAAC format) for oral presentation during the ISAP meeting. To ensure the work of different research groups are well represented, please limit one abstract submission per senior (corresponding) investigator.  The abstracts will be evaluated by a panel of independent senior scientists, based on relevance to PK/PD and scientific merits.  Please submit your abstract by email to Dr. Brian Tsuji ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by July 15, 2013. Abstracts selected for presentation will be notified by August 23, 2013.

The annual meeting and post-ICAAC symposium will take place on September 13th, 2013, 2:00-6:00 PM in Denver, Collorado, USA