Cubist Pharmaceuticals has awarded a $94,422 grant to researcher Michael J. Rybak, PharmD. This grant assists in continuing the ongoing work that has made Dr. Rybak's laboratory among the leading research laboratories for the study of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

A professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, Dr. Rybak received the grant for the project: "Evaluation of the novel combination of daptomycin plus trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole against daptomycin non-susceptible (DNS) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using an in vitro PK/PD model of simulated endocardial vegetations."

Dr. Rybak is a co-author on the recently released Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines for treating MRSA. The "Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America for the Treatment of Methicilin-Resistant" is the IDSA's first guidelines on the treatment of MRSA infections. MRSA is a bacterial infection that is resistant to some antibiotics.

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Lexington, MA, is a bio-pharmaceutical company focused on the research, commercial¬ization and creation of pharmaceutical products that address unmet medical needs in the acute care environment.

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The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, one of the founding colleges of Wayne State University, is committed to advancing the health and well-being of society through the preparation of highly skilled health care practitioners, and through research to improve health care practices and treatment from urban to global levels.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.