Mark L. Nelson

Mark L. Nelson (born 1960) is an American chemist specializing in the field of antibiotics and tetracyclines. His synthesis techniques have resulted in over 40 patents and he conceived and synthesized with Mohamed Ismail along with Laura Honeyman and Kwasi Ohemeng, the tetracycline antibiotic Omadacycline (Nuzyra), the first of the Aminomethylcycline subclass of tetracyclines to reach medical use. Nuzyra is useful against resistant bacteria and used for severe cases of skin infections, ABSSSIs, Community Acquired Pneumonia (CABP) and nontuberculosis mycobacteria. Nuzyra also has demonstrated activity against Anthrax, and was purchased by the US government under a BARDA contract for Project Bio-shield to treat anthrax exposure (''Bacillus anthracis''), and is now in the Strategic National Stockpile in the US in case of a bioterrorism attack. Nuzyra was also approved for use against the Plague, caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' infections. Provided by Wikipedia