Data Presented at the 10th Annual Superbugs and Superdrugs Conference on
Antibacterials
WATERTOWN, Mass., April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Enanta Pharmaceuticals, a
leader in the development of small molecule anti-infective drugs, today
announced the presentation of their breakthrough research program to
evaluate a new macrolide-related drug class, Bicyclolides, in the treatment
of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant
Enterococcus (VRE), and other gram-positive infection pathogens. Enanta's
Bicyclolides have also demonstrated strong activity against MRSA strains
resistant to vancomycin, Zyvox(R) (linezolid), and CUBICIN(R) (daptomycin).
The oral presentation, "New Bicyclolides Active Against MRSA and VRE,"
was presented today during the 10th Annual Superbugs and Superdrugs
Conference in London, England.
"Previously, MRSA infection was a problem mainly for patients treated
in hospitals," said Robert Moellering, M.D., a professor of medicine at
Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "Now we're
seeing MRSA in the general community, creating a tremendous need for a new
class of antibiotics with improved safety profile and more convenient
administration for use within both hospital as well as community settings.
The growing problem of bacterial resistance to many existing drugs also
necessitates the development of new classes of compounds to fight the
battle."
"Pre-clinical research on these new Bicyclolide compounds revealed
activity against MRSA and VRE, even against highly drug-resistant MRSA
strains. This was an unexpected finding, because traditional macrolides do
not work against these bacteria," explained Yat Sun Or, Ph.D., Senior Vice
President of Research and Development at Enanta. "These results are also
very exciting, because we have observed activity as good as
intravenously-administered vancomycin or Zyvox(R) with oral once-a-day
dosing levels of the Bicyclolides. The convenience of oral administration
and the safety profile of macrolides as a class represent patient and
pharmacoeconomic benefits that could be potentially quite significant,
making this program a worthwhile endeavor."
About Enanta's Bicyclolide research program
Bicyclolides posses a reengineered back-bone structure of traditional
macrolides, whose benefits include the potential for oral and intravenous
administration and limited side-effects. The discovery of Bicyclolides'
effectiveness against MRSA and VRE infections is part of Enanta's broad
antibiotic research program. Enanta has applied several research strategies
to develop these new classes of antibiotics, including innovative medicinal
chemistry approaches to create novel and proprietary chemical structures.
Enanta has applied its chemistry approach to create promising product
pipelines and a vast intellectual property estate.
About MRSA
More than 130,000 people each year need hospital care for MRSA,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Staphylococcus
aureus is a bacterium that can live harmlessly on human skin and is found
in the nose of 20 to 40 percent of healthy individuals, but can sometimes
cause infections when exposed to broken skin. MRSA is a particular type of
the bacteria that has developed resistance to many antibiotics, including
methicillin, making it difficult to treat. Currently, the antibiotic drugs
typically administered to MRSA patients are intravenous. This method is
expensive and inconvenient, especially for those who acquired the infection
in the community and must seek hospital treatment for lengthy intravenous
treatment.
About Enanta
Enanta Pharmaceuticals is a research and development company that uses
its novel chemistry approach and drug discovery capabilities to create best
in class small molecule drugs in the anti-infective field. At the heart of
Enanta is its commitment to innovative chemistry that surpasses traditional
medicinal chemistry approaches. Enanta is developing novel protease and
polymerase inhibitors targeted against the Hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Additionally, the Company has created a new class of macrolide antibiotics,
called Bicyclolides, which overcome bacterial resistance. Antibacterial
focus areas include superbugs, respiratory tract infections, and
intravenous and oral treatments for hospital and community MRSA. Enanta is
a privately held company with offices in Watertown, MA. More information
about the company can be found at http://www.enanta.com .
Zyvox is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc. and CUBICIN is a
registered trademark of Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Enanta Contacts
For Enanta Investor Relations, please contact:
Paul Mellett
617-607-0761
For Enanta Public Relations, please contact MacDougall Biomedical
Communications:
Kari Watson
781-235-3060
kwatson@macbiocom.com
SOURCE Enanta Pharmaceuticals
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Related links:
http://www.enanta.com
CONTACT:
Investor Relations, Paul Mellett of Enanta,
+1-617-607-0761; or Public Relations, Kari Watson of MacDougall
Biomedical Communications for Enanta Pharmaceuticals,
+1-781-235-3060, kwatson@macbiocom.com
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