Allergan Partners with CDC to Spread the Word about Antibiotic Stewardship During "Get Smart About Antibiotics Week"

DUBLIN, Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antibiotic resistance is one of the world's most pressing public health threats.¹ More than two million people in the United States alone get infections that are resistant to antibiotics every year – and at least 23,000 people die as a result.² As a leading, global specialty pharmaceutical company committed to infectious disease treatment and innovation, Allergan is pleased to join with the CDC during "Get Smart About Antibiotics Week" to raise awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic use.

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"Antibiotic stewardship is critical to protecting the antibiotics we currently have available to treat these serious, drug-resistant infections, as well as preventing the additional spread of these pathogens," said Gavin R. Corcoran, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Allergan. "It is important for healthcare providers to engage in appropriate antibiotic stewardship practices, such as avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use; being aware of antibiotic resistance patterns in our communities; and stopping the spread of these organisms in hospitals and communities through effective infection control measures. To help support awareness efforts this week, Allergan will distribute copies of the CDC's materials to 29,000 healthcare practitioners across the United States, including nearly 8,000 infectious disease specialists."

Among current bacterial resistance threats, certain Gram-negative pathogens are particularly worrisome because they are becoming resistant to nearly all drugs that would be considered for treatment.³ According to the CDC, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is one of the top three high-consequence antibiotic-resistant threats in the U.S. today.³ Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing bacteria are a common subset of CRE bacteria and account for approximately 85 percent of all CRE infections in the U.S.³ While KPC infections were once seen in limited locations in the U.S., these infections now are found throughout the country.³

The continued spread of more common resistant pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is also an ongoing concern.⁴ Although rates of invasive hospital-acquired MRSA infections have been declining in recent years, the CDC continues to list MRSA as a serious threat to patients.³ During the past decade, rates of non-invasive MRSA infections, such as acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), have increased rapidly among the general population, and these infections often result in hospitalizations that can lead to further spread of the pathogen.⁵ As the prevalence of ABSSSI caused by MRSA continues to increase, reducing hospitalizations and readmissions may be an important consideration in infection control programs.⁴

As part of Allergan's commitment to antibiotic stewardship, the company is participating in a number of large surveillance studies to better characterize resistance patterns and antibiotic effectiveness for a number of pathogens, including:

• International Network for Optimal Resistance Monitoring (INFORM), one of the largest ongoing surveillance programs in the U.S. INFORM is designed to monitor the prevalence of resistant bacteria and changing trends of resistance, as well as the in vitro activity of antibiotics including ceftazidime and avibactam against Gram-negative pathogens.
• Assessing Worldwide Antimicrobial Resistance Evaluation (AWARE), a large multicenter surveillance program. AWARE is designed to establish the baseline and track post-approval activity of ceftaroline and comparator antibiotics in the U.S.
• A worldwide multicenter surveillance program to track the activity of dalbavancin and comparator antibiotics against Gram-positive organisms.

Additionally, Allergan also supports studies evaluating the clinical and economic burden of infections caused by resistant Gram-negative pathogens.

For additional information about "Get Smart About Antibiotics Week," please visit www.cdc.gov/getsmart.

About Allergan 
Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a unique, global pharmaceutical company and a leader in a new industry model – Growth Pharma.  Allergan is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing innovative branded pharmaceuticals, high-quality generic and over-the-counter medicines and biologic products for patients around the world.

Allergan markets a portfolio of best-in-class products that provide valuable treatments for the central nervous system, eye care, medical aesthetics, gastroenterology, women's health, urology, cardiovascular and anti-infective therapeutic categories, and operates the world's third-largest global generics business, providing patients around the globe with increased access to affordable, high-quality medicines. Allergan is an industry leader in research and development, with one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry and a leading position in the submission of generic product applications globally.

With commercial operations in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives.

For more information, visit Allergan's website at www.Allergan.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Allergan's current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from Allergan's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Allergan's business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Allergan's products; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Allergan's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Allergan's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2015  (such periodic public filings having been filed under the "Actavis plc" name). Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

¹ Save money with antibiotic stewardship. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/week/downloads/gsw-factsheet-cost.pdf. Accessed November 13, 2015.

² Antibiotic resistance: the global threat. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/week/downloads/antibiotic-resistance-the-global-threat.pdf. Accessed November 13, 2015.

³ Antibiotic resistance threats in the United States, 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf. Accessed November 13, 2015.

⁴ Pollack CV Jr, Amin A, Ford WT Jr, et al. Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI): practice guideline for management and care transitions in the emergency department and hospital. J Emerg Med. 2015. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2014.12.001. Accessed November 13, 2015.

⁵ Khachatryan A, Patel D, Stephens J, et al. Rising United States hospital admissions for Gram+ acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs). Presented at Society of Hospital Medicine Annual Meeting. 2014. [poster].

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