Roche teams up to tackle antibiotics resistance
pharmafile | January 13, 2015 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Antibiotics, Fedora, Meiji, OP0595, Roche, Teixobactin
Roche is to collaborate with Japan-based pharma firm Meiji and Canadian Fedora – two companies specialising in the production of antibiotic products – to tackle bacterial resistance.
The alliance will build upon the development of OP0595, a beta-lactamase inhibitor in Phase I clinical trials. Combined with a beta-lactam antibiotic, the treatment can target severe infections caused by enterobacteriaceae, which is a large clan of gram-negative bacteria.
“There is an urgent need for new antibiotics able to combat the increasing resistance to antibiotics that is being seen worldwide,” comments Janet Hammond, the head of infectious diseases at Roche.
“This beta-lactamase inhibitor has the potential for an expanded spectrum against multi-drug resistant bacteria and could be a much needed option for patients suffering from difficult-to-treat infections,” adds Hammond.
According to Roche the beta-lactam class of treatments contribute to an estimated 65% of all global antibiotic sales, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say bacterial-resistant infections affect more than two million people in the US alone every year.
Hitoshi Yamaguchi, who is the managing executive of the pharma development division at Meiji, says: “We are delighted to be collaborating with the team at Roche to develop this novel therapy to address potentially life-threatening bacterial infections.
“The therapy is the outcome of our proud legacy in anti-infective medicines. Combined with Roche’s extensive global development, manufacturing and commercial expertise, we look forward to a successful clinical development culminating in making this novel medicine available.”
Under the agreement Roche will obtain worldwide rights for the development and commercialisation of the treatment with the exception of Japan. Meiji and Fedora will both receive upfront payments plus sales milestones in excess of up to $750 million.
Major breakthrough in antibiotic discovery
Recently a study found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria could kill an extra 10 million people a year by 2050, if the long drought in unearthing new germ-fighting medicine is not tackled soon.
The report which was commissioned by the UK prime minister David Cameron, also found that failure to find new medicines could cost the global economy £63.68 trillion a year.
This deficit could be eased following the discovery of Teixobactin, one of 25 new bacteria-fighting drugs recently unearthed. It has been hailed as having the potential to cause a ‘paradigm shift’ and could be available within the next five years.
Scientists are now concentrating on increasing production so that Teixobactin can be tested on humans.
Deals like the Roche, Meiji and Fedora collaboration, plus recent advances in germ-combating discovery mean that the 30-year wait for new innovation could be nearing a climax.
Tom Robinson
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