Merck & Co debuts Sivextro for ABSSSI in UK

The UK subsidiary of US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) today announced the availability in the UK of Sivextro (tedizolid phosphate) for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) in adults.

Available in both intravenous (IV) and oral formulations, Sivextro is the first new treatment in the oxazolidinone class of antibiotics since 2001. Tedizolid phosphateis another option in the fight against the growing challenge of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a key topic on the agenda of the G7 summit of world leaders, taking place on June 7-8 2015, in Schloss Elmau, Germany, the company noted.

Cases of skin infections caused by MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) in the community and MSSA (methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus) are rising in the UK with up to 25% of MRSA infections being resistant to treatment. Recent research from the Department of Health notes that AMR costs the European Union (EU) at least 1.5 billion euros ($2.3 billion) per year and claims an estimated 25,000 lives every year – an estimated 3,000 deaths in the UK. A government-commissioned AMR Review Team (chaired by economist Jim O’Neill) has projected this to increase to 390,000 deaths per annum by 2050 in Europe and globally from an estimated 700,000 to in excess of 10 million.

Need to use “new treatments wisely”