Infectious Disease Pharmacotherapy Section

Larry Danziger and Keith Rodvold created the Infectious Disease Pharmacotherapy Section (IDPS) at the UIC College of Pharmacy. Under their guidance the IDPS is very active in research for both the clinical and basic sciences. Dr. Danziger and Dr. Rodvold have been conducting research at University of Illinois at Chicago since the mid 1980’s. The mission of the IDPS is to advance anti-infective pharmacology. Their section studies the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) characteristics of antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals using both in-vitro and in-vivo (PK/PD) techniques.

Drs. Danziger and Rodvold are involved in Phases I through IV, of clinical trials, of existing and investigational antimicrobial compounds. The IDPS has studied the PK/PD of multiple anti-infectives including; metronidazole, paromomycin, ceftazidime/avibactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam, ceftaroline, liposomal amphotericin B, doripenem and oritavancin.

The IDPS, under Dr. Rodvold’s guidance, is has conducted over 20 clinical trials during the past 20-25 years to determine anti-infective penetration into epithelial lining fluid (ELF) within the lungs and to compare plasma and ELF concentrations of anti-infective agents.  Dr Rodvold is a leading expert regarding the exposure-response relationship of anti-infective agents within the lung. The IDPS under Dr. Danziger guidance played a critical role in the redevelopment of paromomycin, an antibiotic originally developed in the 1950s.  In collaboration between the University of Illinois at Chicago and the WHO, paromomycin was developed as a therapeutic for the treatment of visceral Leishmaniasis. Paromomycin was granted orphan drug status in 2005 and was approved by the Drug Controller General of India in September 2006 for treatment of visceral Leishmaniasis.

The UIC – Microbiology Research Laboratory (UIC-MRL), managed by the IDPS, explores activity of novel compounds, studies approaches to improve the use of both new and old antimicrobials and antifungals, and evaluates new pharmacotherapeutic options for the treatment of antibiotic resistant infections.

Lastly, over the past 23 years, the Drs. Rodvold’s and Danziger’s have trained over 75 Infectious Fellows and Residents.