OREANDA-NEWS. November 12, 2012. In October 2012, Theravance entered into two separate development and commercialization agreements with R-Pharm. The first was for TD-1792, an investigational glycopeptide-cephalosporin heterodimer antibiotic for the treatment of resistant Gram-positive infections, which has completed a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study. The second was for telavancin, a lipoglycopeptide antibiotic approved in the United States.

Under the R-Pharm agreements, Theravance granted R-Pharm exclusive development and commercialization rights for TD-1792 and telavancin in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the other member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Georgia.

Today a wide variety of antibiotics are available for clinical use. However, the treatment of infections still remains problematic. Moreover, it becomes more acute due to the possibility of gaining a resistance to all existing classes of antibiotics. Appearance and spreading of resistant bacteria within hospitals leads to longer hospital stays, economic losses and increased lethal rate.

This problem spreads beyond healthcare industry and relates to whole society. That’s why it’s so important. Resistive bacteria strains spread within hospitals and beyond reducing efficiency of therapy against common infections and raising the need for next-generation pharmaceuticals.

The problem of antibacterial resistance is extremely acute in Russia. According to the data of the Scientific and Methodic Center for Antibacterial Resistance established on the basis of the R&D Institute for Antibacterial Chemotherapy of Smolensk Medical Academy, over 70% of enterobacteriaceae strains found in Russia (including E.Coli) are resistant to cephalosporin and may be treated only with carbapenems. The same story is about Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a frequent cause of hospital infections. In some hospitals up to 20% strains of bacteria are totally resistant to all available classes of antibiotics. Current rate of antibiotic resistance leads to huge economic losses. There is no official system for registration of hospital infections in Russia. However, according to the Central R&D Institute for Epidemiology of Russian Consumer Protection Service and the R&D Institute for Antibacterial Chemotherapy the rate of hospital infections in Russia reaches 2M-2,5M. And about 70% or 1,5M of infections cases are caused by poly-resistant strains.

Establishing of a strategic partnership between R-Pharm and Theravance will provide patients from Russia and the CIS countries with an access to highly efficient and demanded contemporary pharmaceuticals. Commercial, marketing and technological resources of R-Pharm guarantee successful completion of new drug development.