Dive Brief:
- Cempra Inc presented impressive late-stage trial results for its oral antibiotic candidate solithromycin, a next-generation macrolide (used to treat community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, or CAP) and potential blockbuster, Reuters reports.
- Solithromycin produced a clinical response in patients within 72 hours of taking the drug, making it comparable to Bayer's moxifloxacin.
- There are between 5 and 10 million cases of CAP in the U.S. every year, and it's one of the main causes of infection-related deaths. Older macrolides have been associated with high levels of toxicity and risk to patients, which means Cempra's drug's better safety profile is a huge plus.
Dive Insight:
As Reuters notes, macrolides such as Sanofi's telithromycin and Pfizer's azithromycin have drawn criticism for their associated risks of liver toxicity and adverse cardiovascular events, respectively.
Cempra is also working on an IV version of solithromycin, which is reportedly the first in-development antibiotic for children in about 30 years. This could become one of the biggest drug launches of 2015, barring unforeseen events.