Melinta out-licenses rights to novel antibiotic

Privately-held US biotech firm Melinta Therapeutics and family-controlled Italian drugmaker Menarini Group have signed a development and commercialization agreement on a novel antibiotic.

As part of this accord, Melinta has granted the Menarini exclusive rights to commercialize delafloxacin (known as Baxdela in the USA), an investigational anionic fluoroquinolone, under their own brands in 68 countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific including China, South Korea, and Australia (Japan excluded), and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) including Russia.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Melinta will receive an undisclosed upfront payment and near-term development and regulatory milestone payments, as well as sales milestones and royalties from Menarini. For financial terms were not disclosed.