Taksta™ (fusidic acid) Demonstrates Activity Against MRSA Isolated From Cystic Fibrosis Patients

ANAHEIM, Calif., Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cempra Pharmaceuticals will be presenting data demonstrating Taksta's activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and demonstrating solithromycin's anti-inflammatory activity in a human lung epithelial in vitro model at the 25th Annual North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Anaheim, California.  Both studies will be presented during poster abstract sessions at 11:50 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. PDT, Nov. 3, and 4 to 6 p.m. PDT, Nov. 4, in Hall C in the Anaheim Convention Center.

Taksta (fusidic acid) is active against MRSA strains isolated from CF patients

Pulmonary MRSA infections in CF patients have been gaining increased attention because studies have shown that pulmonary function declines and mortality rates increase with MRSA infection.  The prevalence of hospital-acquired or community-acquired MRSA in the respiratory tract of individuals with CF has increased dramatically.  Fernandes et al. (Abst. # 285) investigated whether fusidic acid, shown to be active against MRSA isolated from other infections such as skin and skin structure infections, would be active against MRSA isolated from CF patients.  Forty strains isolated from the sputum of CF patients were tested against fusidic acid and comparator antibiotics, such as vancomycin, linezolid and daptomycin.  Fusidic acid demonstrated an MIC90 of 0.25 mg/L indicating that Taksta has potential for treating MRSA infection in CF patients.

Macrolides, including solithromycin (CEM-101), demonstrate anti-inflammatory activity in an airway anti-inflammation model

Macrolide antibiotics prolong survival in patients with diffuse panbronchiolitis, a condition that shares features with CF.  Macrolides are known to have anti-inflammatory activity and it has been hypothesized that these immunomodulatory properties could mediate their therapeutic effects.  Earlier work showed that pretreatment of primary human bronchial epithelial cultures with azithromycin prevented up-regulation of inflammatory and defense response genes generated by exposure to supernatant from mucopurulent material (SMM) from CF airways.  In this study, Ribeiro et al. (Abst. # 219) showed that pretreatment with solithromycin, along with azithromycin and telithromycin, inhibited SMM-induced expression of mRNA of inflammatory genes, particularly MUC5B (mucin-5B) and MUC5AC (mucin-5AC).  Because of chronic lung inflammation found in CF patients, the anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated in this study could provide a path for the development of new therapeutic agents for CF.

About Cempra Pharmaceuticals

Founded in 2006, Cempra Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing antibiotics to meet critical unmet medical needs in the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases, particularly respiratory tract infections and skin and skin structure infections. Our two lead product candidates have both completed oral Phase 2 clinical trials and seek to address the need for new treatments targeting drug-resistant bacterial infections in the hospital and in the community. The company also intends to use its proprietary macrolide library and chemistry technology to develop novel macrolides without antibacterial activity for non-antibiotic uses such as inflammatory and GI disorders. Additional information about Cempra can be found at www.cempra.com.

Contacts:

Robert E. Flamm, Ph.D.
Russo Partners, LLC
(212) 845-4226
[email protected]

Tony Russo, Ph.D.
Russo Partners, LLC
(212) 845-4251
[email protected]

Prabhavathi Fernandes, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Cempra Pharmaceuticals
[email protected]

SOURCE Cempra Pharmaceuticals