ASTELLAS, THERAVANCE TO COLLABORATE ON ANTIBIOTIC IN JAPAN

Japan-based Astellas Pharma and Theravance have agreed to add Japan to their list of countries in which to develop and commercialize Theravance's investigational antibiotic, telavancin, giving Astellas worldwide rights to this drug candidate.

Telavancin is a lipoglycopeptide injectable antibiotic that targets serious Gram-positive infections, including those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Telavancin is currently in Phase III studies for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections, for which patient enrollment has been completed, and hospital-acquired pneumonia.