ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national drug regulator has officially approved the marketing of a generic version of the potent antibiotic Daptomycin, made by a Chinese drug maker, in a move that could provide a new, potentially more affordable option for treating severe, drug-resistant infections. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) granted the market approval for the injectable drug, manufactured by China-based Hainan Poly Pharm, the Chinese firm announced in a post, according to Gwadar Pro. This development is significant for Pakistan, a country facing a severe public health crisis from antimicrobial resistance (AMR). According to a 2019 global study by The Lancet, drug-resistant infections are the third-leading cause of death in the country, directly attributable to over 59,000 deaths and associated with 221,300 others that year. Daptomycin is a last-resort antibiotic used to treat complicated skin and bloodstream infections caused by pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, particularly its methicillin-resistant strain (MRSA). DNA
