Swissmedic approves Basilea''s antibiotic Zevtera(r) (ceftobiprole medocaril) for the treatment of pneumonia
Monday, December 22, 2014
Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. reports that the Swiss regulatory authority Swissmedic has approved the antibiotic Zevtera® (ceftobiprole medocaril) for the treatment in adults of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), excluding ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The license will be issued by Swissmedic following formal publication of the Product Information. Ceftobiprole for the treatment of pneumonia has already been approved in twelve other European countries.
Each year, approximately 70,000 hospital-acquired infections occur in Switzerland, leading to the death of about 2,000 patients, according to Swissnoso, a Swiss infectious diseases and hospital hygiene expert group. HAP is among the most common of these hospital-acquired infections.
Ceftobiprole is a new-generation broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic with rapid bactericidal activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria associated with pneumonia, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and susceptible strains of Pseudomonas spp. Ceftobiprole is administered intravenously and is the active moiety of the prodrug ceftobiprole medocaril.
Ronald Scott, Chief Executive Officer of Basilea, commented: "We are very pleased that Swissmedic has approved Zevtera for the treatment of pneumonia in Switzerland. Antibiotic-resistant infections are a major healthcare threat. The development of new antibiotics is part of Basilea''s commitment to combat drug resistance."
Prof. Achim Kaufhold, Chief Medical Officer of Basilea, added: "The approval of ceftobiprole in Switzerland offers a new treatment option for physicians and their patients to support the treatment of pneumonia, when empiric therapy requires broad-spectrum activity against frequent Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens."
Source : http://www.nasdaq.com/
