CEREXA RELEASES RESULTS OF ANTI-INFECTIVE DRUG TRIAL

Cerexa has reports positive results from the Phase II trial of Ceftaroline for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI).

This observer-blinded trial evaluated Ceftaroline versus standard therapy in 100 patients at 24 study sites. The clinical cure rate was 96.8 percent for subjects treated with Ceftaroline and 88.9 percent for those treated with vancomycin, with or without adjunctive aztreonam, in the clinical population. Ceftaroline also demonstrated excellent activity against gram-positive and gram-negative organisms isolated from study patients, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Ceftaroline is an injectable cephalosporin that combines the advantages of an enhanced gram-positive spectrum, including bactericidal anti-MRSA activity, with broad gram-negative activity. In March 2006 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the drug fast-track designation for the treatment of cSSSI caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.