Pfizer's combination antibiotic approved in U.K., Germany

Pfizer Inc.'s combination antibiotic Zavicefta is now available in the United Kingdom and Germany for the treatment of Gram-negative bacterial infections requiring hospitalization.
The drug is a useful tool in treating infections that are increasingly resistant to available antibiotics and for which treatments in many markets are not consistent.
“The launch of Zavicefta reaffirms Pfizer’s longstanding heritage and commitment to patients facing serious infectious diseases,” Pfizer Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall said. “We continue to search for solutions to one of humanity’s most pressing challenges – defeating the microbes that cause infection and misery.”
The drug, which was approved by the European Medicines Agency in June 2016 after an extensive clinical trial program, is indicated for treating adults with complicated intra-abdominal infection, complicated urinary tract infection, Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia, including Ventilator Associated Pneumonia; and infections due to aerobic Gram-negative organisms for patients with limited treatment options.
“Multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections are an increasing global threat,” University of Udine's Dr. Matteo Bassetti said. “The availability of Zavicefta is a major step forward for physicians faced with the challenge of treating patients with known or suspected MDR infections.”