Fortum

Fortum Oyj is a Finnish energy company focusing on the Nordic and Baltic countries, Poland and Russia. Fortum operates power plants, including co-generation plants, and generates and sells electricity, heat and steam. In addition, it has stakes in gas companies Gasum in Finland and Eesti Gaas in Estonia. The company also provides other energy related services and products. Fortum is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki stock exchange and shares the number one position in the Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) Nordic climate index.

History

The predecessor of Fortum was Imatran Voima, which was founded in 1932 to operate the Imatrankoski hydroelectric power plant in Imatra. Imatran Voima acquired and built a number of other power plants, such as the largest hydroelectric power plants along the Oulujoki river, Inkoo and Naantali coal-fired powerplants and the Loviisa nuclear power plant. Fortum Corporation was founded in 1998. It was created from the merging of Imatran Voima and Neste Oy, the Finnish national oil company. The most of Neste assets were divested into a separate stock-listed company Neste Oil in 2005.

Ceftazidime

Ceftazidime, sold under the brand names Fortaz and Tazicef, is an antibiotic useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. It is a third-generation cephalosporin.

As a class, cephalosporins have activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The balance of activity tips toward Gram-positive organisms for earlier generations; later generations of cephalosporins have more Gram-negative coverage. Ceftazidime is one of the few in this class with activity against Pseudomonas. It is not active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Third-generation cephalosporins differ from earlier generations in the presence of a C=N-OCH₃ group in their chemical structure (Cefuroxime & Cefuzonam also bear this functional group but are only listed as class II). This group provides improved stability against certain beta-lactamase enzymes produced by Gram-negative bacteria. These bacterial enzymes rapidly destroy earlier-generation cephalosporins by breaking open the drug's beta-lactam chemical ring, leading to antibiotic resistance. Though initially active against these bacteria, with widespread use of third-generation cephalosporins, some Gram-negative bacteria known as extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are even able to inactivate the third-generation cephalosporins. Infections caused by ESBL-producing Gram-negative bacteria are of particular concern in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system.