astrazeneca_sign_sky

Clinical studies point to consistent efficacy in AstraZeneca’s treatment for drug-resistance bacteria

pharmafile | April 12, 2016 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development AstraZeneca, avibactam, ceftazidime, gram resistant 

AstraZeneca has presented results from a series of trials which show the consistent efficacy of investigational antibiotic, ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) in treating multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.

The data, observed in patients with either intra-abdominal infections or urinary tract infections, demonstrated that ceftazidime-avibactam was effective at treating patients with ceftazidime-resistant gram-negative pathogens caused by enterobacteriaceae and pseudomonas aeruginosa. In Europe, it is estimated that gram-negative bacteria are responsible for two thirds of the 25,000 deaths resulting from antimicrobial resistance reported annually.

The results were also significant in that responses were broadly similar to carbapenem comparators, which are often the last lines of defence in severe hospital-treated gram-negative infections. Crucially, the increasing resistance to carbapenem points to the need for newer treatments to combat these drug-resistant bacteria. Approximately 80% of patients demonstrated a favourable response to CAZ-AVI across the trials.

Hans Sijbesma, managing director of the antibiotics business unit at AstraZeneca, says: “We are encouraged by the data which highlight the potential for CAZ-AVI to address the challenges of treating patients with life-threatening infections where the lack of effective treatment options has a critical impact on mortality, morbidity and associated healthcare costs.”

These results were presented by AstraZeneca at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Amsterdam. Other highlights from their presentation included data on Zinforo (ceftaroline fosamil), an antibiotic approved for the treatment of adult patients with complicated skin and soft tissue infections, and ATM-AVI, an investigational antibiotic being developed for the treatment of targeted serious bacterial infections.

Sean Murray

Related Content

carlos-muza-hpjsku2uysu-unsplash_1

AstraZeneca launches health-tech business, Evinova

AstraZeneca has announced that it has launched Evinova, its new health-tech business, which it is …

FDA approves AstraZeneca’s Truqap plus Faslodex for breast cancer treatment

AstraZeneca has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Truqap (capivasertib) …

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi meets primary endpoint for liver cancer treatment

AstraZeneca has announced positive results from the EMERALD-1 phase 3 trial for Imfinzi (durvalumab) in …

Latest content