April 26, 2001: FDA Panel Recommends Approval for Ketek to Treat Streptococcus Pneumonia

In a 7 to 3 vote, an FDA advisory panel recommends approving the antibiotic Ketek, also known as telithromycin, for use in treating streptococcus pneumonia. But the panel does not recommend approving it for use against acute chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, or penicillin-resistant or erythromycin-resistant strep. The panel also recommends conducting additional clinical trials to “see if hints of concern… are real or not” about the drug’s potential side affects on the heart and liver. [Associated Press, 4/26/2001]