Basilea launches its serious bacterial pneumonia therapy in the UK

Swiss pharma company Basilea Pharmaceutica has launched its broad-spectrum Cephalosporin Zevtera (ceftobiprole medocaril) for the first-line treatment of serious bacterial pneumonia in the UK.

Zevtera is the only antibiotic approved for use as a monotherapy in the UK for the treatment of community-acquired and hospital-acquired pneumonia (excluding ventilator-associated pneumonia) that is effective against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative pathogens such as strains of pseudomonas aeruginosa and enterobacteriaceae.

According to a UK review of antimicrobial resistance, the global health cost of this crisis will be up to $100 trillion and will account for10 million extra deaths a year.