CutisPharma Announces FDA Approval of Firvanq (vancomycin) for Treatment of Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhea and Staphylococcus Aureus Colitis

In continuation of my update on vancomycin

CutisPharma announced  the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  approval of  Firvanq (vancomycin hydrochloride) for oral solution, for the treatment of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea and enterocolitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains.

“We are pleased to announce the FDA approval of Firvanq,” said Neal I. Muni, MD, MSPH, Chief Executive Officer of CutisPharma. “Firvanq's approval is an important step forward to providing patients the only FDA-approved vancomycin oral liquid treatment option for Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea, a life-threatening condition that affects over a half-million patients in the United States annually.”

Upon its launch, which is targeted to be April 2, 2018, Firvanq will replace CutisPharma’s FIRST®-Vancomycin Unit-of-Use Compounding Kit, which has been available to pharmacists that need a convenient, accurate, and compliant way to compound vancomycin oral liquid therapy. Firvanq will be commercially available in 25 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL strengths in convenient 150 mL and 300 mL sizes. Firvanq is designed to be easy to use and has the potential to be a cost-effective alternative to existing vancomycin therapies.

“As a practicing infectious disease physician treating many patients with CDAD, having an FDA-approved vancomycin oral liquid formulation that is affordable and accessible to my patients is very beneficial,” said Stuart Johnson, MD, Loyola University Medical Center. “Patient access is currently limited by the fact that only a select few pharmacies perform compounding in the outpatient setting these days, given the many new regulations in place. Availability of an FDA-approved vancomycin oral liquid treatment will effectively allow any pharmacy to stock this therapy, and hopefully encourage third-party payer reimbursement, significantly improving accessibility and convenience for patients.”

CutisPharma Announces FDA Approval of Firvanq (vancomycin) for Treatment of Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhea and Staphylococcus Aureus Colitis

Continuous vancomycin optimizes neonate therapy

In continuation of my update on vancomycin...

Continuous vancomycin optimizes neonate therapy

Less commonly prescribed antibiotic may be better for bloodstream infections

 In continuation of my update on Vancomycin

Kevin Chan, MD (Fresenius Medical Care North America and Massachusetts General Hospital) and his colleagues compared the effectiveness of various antibiotics at preventing hospitalization and death from bloodstream infection. They reviewed more than 500,000 blood culture results from their chronic kidney disease database, looking for methicillin-sensitive strains of S. aureus bloodstream infection. They also identified when physicians used vancomycin or cefazolin to treat these infections. Vancomycin is often perceived as the better antibiotic because it has broad coverage against many strains of bacteria; however, other factors like the antibiotic's killing power and tissue penetration are also important factors in selecting the best treatment.

  

Among the major findings:

• 56% of patients remained on vancomycin after blood culture results reported S. aureus bacteria were susceptible to cefazolin, while only 17% were treated with cefazolin. 
• Cefazolin-treated patients experienced a 38% lower rate of hospitalization and death compared with vancomycin-treated patients. 
• Cefazolin-treated patients also had a 48% lower rate of sepsis, which is the most serious form of bloodstream infection.
• "I think the data suggest there is an opportunity to improve outcomes for patients through appropriate antibiotic selection," said Dr. Chan.

 Less commonly prescribed antibiotic may be better for bloodstream infections

Ref : http://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/early/2012/08/15/ASN.2012010050

Redesigned Vancomycin As Potent Antimicrobial Activity Against Vancomycin-Resistant Bacteria...

In continuation of my update on vancomycin....

A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has successfully reengineered an important antibiotic (Vancomycin)  to kill the   deadliest antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The researchers claim that compound could one day be used clinically to treat patients with life-threatening and highly resistant bacterial infections. The compound synthesized is  an  analogue of the well-known commercial antibiotic vancomycin.

Vancomycin normally works by grabbing hold of and sequestering the bacterial cell-wall making machinery, a peptidoglycan (carbohydrate and peptide containing molecule). Only Gram-positive bacteria have a cell wall, which is a membrane on the cell's outer surface. Unfortunately, bacteria have found a way to alter the peptidoglycan in such a way that the antibiotic can no longer grab hold. Researchers claim that,  the new vancomycin analogue can grab hold of the mutant peptidoglycan, and again prevent the bacteria from making the cell wall and killing the resistant bacteria. But what is so remarkable about the design is that the redesigned antibiotic maintains its ability to bind the wild type peptidoglycan as well.

New compound has an amidine (an iminium, RC=NH+ linked to a nitrogen, N) instead of an amide at a key position buried in the interior of the natural product. I appreciate the idea and the simplicity in achieving the target functional group.

Researchers add that, although it is still at its early stages and there is much work ahead.In my opinion it is a good beginning...

Ref : A Redesigned Vancomycin Engineered for Duald-Ala-d-Ala andd-Ala-d-Lac Binding Exhibits Potent Antimicrobial Activity Against Vancomycin-Resistant Bacteria

Scientists Re-engineer an Antibiotic to Overcome Resistant Bacteria - Topix

Scientists Re-engineer an Antibiotic to Overcome Resistant Bacteria - Topix

Linezolid more effective than vancomycin in treating ventilated patients with MRSA pneumonia: Study

In continuation of my update on Linezolid and Vancomycin...

Linezolid more effective than vancomycin in treating ventilated patients with MRSA pneumonia: Study