Novartis gets worldwide rights to antibiotic

Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG said Thursday it bought worldwide marketing rights to an antibiotic that is being developed to treat infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria, potentially including the "superbug" MRSA.

Novartis did not disclose the payments it will make to the drug's developer, Paratek Pharmaceuticals of Boston. The deal includes an upfront payment to Paratek, potential milestone payments as the drug candidate advances through clinical testing and regulatory review, and royalties on sales if the drug is approved.

Novartis and privately held Paratek will share responsibility and costs of developing the drug.

Paratek is running a late stage clinical trial of PTK 0796, evaluating the drug's effectiveness against complex skin infections. Novartis said other trials are planned, and studies have shown evidence the drug works against drug-resistant and hospital-acquired infections like MRSA.

The drug is being developed in both oral and intravenous forms. PTK 0796 could be the first broad-spectrum antibiotic that can be given both orally and by IV, the company said. The options could make it easier for patients to continue treatment after they leave the hospital.

Novartis stock rose 53 cents to $50.09 in morning trading.

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Forest pneumonia drug achieves goal in 2 trials

Forest Laboratories Inc said on Friday its experimental antibiotic proved to be at least as effective as an older medicine in pneumonia patients, reaching its main goal in two late-stage trials.

Forest said its drug, ceftaroline, was well tolerated and met its primary goal of similar effectiveness and high clinical cure rates compared with ceftriaxone in patients with moderate to severe community-acquired, bacterial pneumonia requiring hospitalization.

Ceftaroline is a member of the cephalosporin family of antibiotics meant to work against gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and gram-negative bacteria.

Integrated data from the two Phase III trials, which involved 1,241 patients, showed a clinical cure rate in evaluable patients of 84.3 percent for the ceftaroline group and 77.7 percent for the ceftriaxone group, Forest said in a statement.

The company said the pneumonia data, along with earlier results from trials of the drug as a treatment for skin infections, will serve as the basis for a new drug application to be filed with U.S. regulators around the end of this year.

Shares of Forest were up 35 cents, or 1.5 percent, at $24.55 on the New York Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Deena Beasley)

Source : www.reuters.com

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