Experts discuss importance of combating antibiotic resistance at 26th IACMAC International Congress
On May 29-31, Moscow hosted the 26th IACMAC International Congress on Antimicrobial Therapy and Clinical Microbiology, gathering more than 1000 participants. The experts took part in the event to speak about initiatives developed to curb antibiotic resistance in Russia and globally.
Danilo Lo Fo Wong, Senior Regional Advisor at the World Health Organization, emphasized that WHO has a strong focus on curbing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with a number of activities, including World AMR Awareness Weeks. All WHO member countries, including Russia, promote the fight against AMR as a national priority.
Roman Kozlov, Professor, Dr. habil. med., Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rector at FSBEI HE Smolensk State Medical University MOH Russia, President of IACMAC, shared his experience in solving the AMR problem and the antibiotic-sparing technology program, containing some findings from the study investigating the effect Longidaza® had on the biofilm matrix of highly resistant pathogenic microorganisms. Biofilm formation is known to be one of the leading causes of antibiotic resistance, and disruption of the biofilm matrix is a key factor in improving the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy.
The professor cited the study which showed that Longidaza® disrupts biofilms, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of antibacterial drugs. The expert also noted that further studies of the drug with clinical strains of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria are planned.