DRUG DISCOVERY EXAM #2
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is MRSA? Why is it a public health danger? - ANSWER-- MRSA is a strain of
staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to penicillin based drugs
What class of antibiotics does Cipro belong to? - ANSWER-Fluoroquinolones
What is Cipro not very useful against? - ANSWER-pneumonia
What does Cipro work well for? - ANSWER-bone and joint infections
Who developed Cipro? - ANSWER-Bayer
Why should you avoid antacids with Cipro? - ANSWER-antacids can form a salt with
Cipro which is not soluble. the salt will be excreted intact thus never allowing the drug to
be absorbed thru the small intestine
What is Cipro's mechanism of action? - ANSWER-it inhibits DNA replication so bacteria
can't grow and die out
What are Clindamycin uses? - ANSWER-- pneumonia
- malaria
- skin infections
- UTIs
- acne
- MRSA
- soft tissue infections
How does Clindamycin work? - ANSWER-inhibits protein synthesis which causes
bacteria to die off
tetracycline uses? - ANSWER-- plague
- brucellosis
- malaria
- syphilis
- cholera
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- ** first line of defense against Lyme disease (doxycycline)
Side effects of tetracyclines - ANSWER-- rapidly absorbed in the bones (big problem for
pregnant women)
- children born from mothers who took tetracyclines often develop black/brown teeth
- should avoid long periods of sunlight when taking
, - can cause drug-induced lupus & hepatitis
What is the mechanism of action of tetracyclines? - ANSWER-They inhibit protein
synthesis which causes bacteria to die off
Why is Zithromax so popular? - ANSWER-it is so popular because it is a "nice broad
spectrum antibiotic used for sinus infections, pneumonia, and ear infections
how does zithromax work? - ANSWER-inhibits protein synthesis which causes bacteria
to die off
Why are sinus infections difficult to treat? - ANSWER-because of the location of the
sinuses
What is Augmentin? Why does it work better than its single components? - ANSWER--
Augmentin is a very popular broad spectrum antibiotic for a variety of bacterial
infections such as UTI, pneumonia, ear/skin infections
- it is made up of of Amoxicillin and Potassium Clavulana (combo therapy)
- it works better than its single components because it inhibits lactamase in peniciliin-
resistant bacteria
What is Bactrim? - ANSWER-a combination drug made up of two components: : a
synthetic antibiotic Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole
Why is Bactrim making a comeback? - ANSWER-it works very well against MRSA.
What was the problem with Tequin? - ANSWER-- was turning normal patients into
diabetics
Why is Vancomycin considered the "silver bullet?" - ANSWER-- it was a first treatment
for complicated skin infections, bloodstream infections, endocarditis, bone and joint
infections, and meningitis caused by MRSA
- used when no other antibiotics proved to be effective
How does vancomycin work? - ANSWER-It inhibits cell wall synthesis
What was original intention of thalidomide? - ANSWER-first marketed as a treatment of
anxiety and nausea
What did thalidomide do for prospective moms with morning sickness? - ANSWER-the
drug later developed an off-label use for morning sickness in pregnant women
what went wrong with thalidomide? - ANSWER-- the drug was responsible for
"Thalidomide babies": babies born with malformed or missing limbs
- the drug was teratogenic in pregnant women taking the drug prior to the third trimester
- 2000 babies died and roughly 10000 had birth defects
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is MRSA? Why is it a public health danger? - ANSWER-- MRSA is a strain of
staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to penicillin based drugs
What class of antibiotics does Cipro belong to? - ANSWER-Fluoroquinolones
What is Cipro not very useful against? - ANSWER-pneumonia
What does Cipro work well for? - ANSWER-bone and joint infections
Who developed Cipro? - ANSWER-Bayer
Why should you avoid antacids with Cipro? - ANSWER-antacids can form a salt with
Cipro which is not soluble. the salt will be excreted intact thus never allowing the drug to
be absorbed thru the small intestine
What is Cipro's mechanism of action? - ANSWER-it inhibits DNA replication so bacteria
can't grow and die out
What are Clindamycin uses? - ANSWER-- pneumonia
- malaria
- skin infections
- UTIs
- acne
- MRSA
- soft tissue infections
How does Clindamycin work? - ANSWER-inhibits protein synthesis which causes
bacteria to die off
tetracycline uses? - ANSWER-- plague
- brucellosis
- malaria
- syphilis
- cholera
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- ** first line of defense against Lyme disease (doxycycline)
Side effects of tetracyclines - ANSWER-- rapidly absorbed in the bones (big problem for
pregnant women)
- children born from mothers who took tetracyclines often develop black/brown teeth
- should avoid long periods of sunlight when taking
, - can cause drug-induced lupus & hepatitis
What is the mechanism of action of tetracyclines? - ANSWER-They inhibit protein
synthesis which causes bacteria to die off
Why is Zithromax so popular? - ANSWER-it is so popular because it is a "nice broad
spectrum antibiotic used for sinus infections, pneumonia, and ear infections
how does zithromax work? - ANSWER-inhibits protein synthesis which causes bacteria
to die off
Why are sinus infections difficult to treat? - ANSWER-because of the location of the
sinuses
What is Augmentin? Why does it work better than its single components? - ANSWER--
Augmentin is a very popular broad spectrum antibiotic for a variety of bacterial
infections such as UTI, pneumonia, ear/skin infections
- it is made up of of Amoxicillin and Potassium Clavulana (combo therapy)
- it works better than its single components because it inhibits lactamase in peniciliin-
resistant bacteria
What is Bactrim? - ANSWER-a combination drug made up of two components: : a
synthetic antibiotic Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole
Why is Bactrim making a comeback? - ANSWER-it works very well against MRSA.
What was the problem with Tequin? - ANSWER-- was turning normal patients into
diabetics
Why is Vancomycin considered the "silver bullet?" - ANSWER-- it was a first treatment
for complicated skin infections, bloodstream infections, endocarditis, bone and joint
infections, and meningitis caused by MRSA
- used when no other antibiotics proved to be effective
How does vancomycin work? - ANSWER-It inhibits cell wall synthesis
What was original intention of thalidomide? - ANSWER-first marketed as a treatment of
anxiety and nausea
What did thalidomide do for prospective moms with morning sickness? - ANSWER-the
drug later developed an off-label use for morning sickness in pregnant women
what went wrong with thalidomide? - ANSWER-- the drug was responsible for
"Thalidomide babies": babies born with malformed or missing limbs
- the drug was teratogenic in pregnant women taking the drug prior to the third trimester
- 2000 babies died and roughly 10000 had birth defects
