Study results presented at the 17th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) show that the antibiotic telavancin, and the antifungal micafungin, both have the potential to meet a significant unmet need in the fight against serious hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).
Telavancin data: Data presented from ATLAS 1 andATLAS 2, two multinational phase three studies, show that telavancin was found to be effective for the treatment of patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections (CSSSIs), including those caused by Grampositive organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
The results of the two double blind parallel studies, in which 1,867 patients were treated, showed that telavancin compared favourably to standard therapy in clinical cure, microbiological eradication, and overall therapeutic response rates. The safety profile of telavancin in these studies was compatible with the treatment of patients with serious infections due to resistant bacteria.
Telavancin is currently undergoing regulatory review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is a novel, rapidly bactericidal lipoglycopeptide with activity against important Gram-positive bacteria. Telavancin possesses a unique, multivalent, multifunctional mode of action that inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis and disrupts the functional integrity of the bacterial cell membrane.
Micafungin data: Micafungin data presented show that micafungin demonstrates broadspectrum efficacy against Candida infections. More specifically data showed that in adult patients with deep, invasive Candida, micafungin was associated with efficacy comparable to established treatments, liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) and intravenous caspofungin, and that there were significant safety advantages of micafungin over L-AmB in terms of a difference in acute infusion related reactions and Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR). Data presented also showed that in paediatric patients with invasive candidiasis or candidaemia, micafungin was as effective as standard therapy with AmBisome (L-AmB), with fewer patients experiencing treatment-related adverse events and fewer discontinuations.
Micafungin is currently undergoing clinical evaluation at the EMEA. It is licensed in the US for the treatment of oesophageal candidiasis and for the prophylaxis of fungal infections caused by Candida in patients who are undergoing a haematopoietic stem cell transplant.
