[aussenseiter]

Science invents new use for old drug. And it's not ivermectin!

Broadening access to doxy-PEP would raise concerns about its potential contribution to antibiotic resistance, a global crisis that threatens to undermine some of our only treatments for certain bacterial and fungal infections.

"This is a really important novel biomedical intervention," says Dr. Manik Kohli, an academic clinical fellow at University College London. "For an effective rollout, there needs to be clear data and a clear plan in place for how you monitor for new antibiotic resistance."

While there are still questions about what could happen if doxy-PEP gains popularity, researchers have tried to look for signs of increased antimicrobial resistance among those taking the treatment.

For example, Staphylococcus aureus — a bacteria that's usually found on the nose and skin — can harbor resistance to doxycycline, and the U.S. trial found an 8% increase in resistance levels among those who took doxy-PEP.