New antibiotic to treat complicated Gram-negative bacteria infections rolls out in Germany and UK

14 March 2017

Zavicefta (ceftazidime-avibactam), a novel combination antibiotic for the treatment of patients with certain confirmed or suspected Gram-negative bacterial infections requiring hospitalization, is now available in the UK and Germany.

US pharma giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) expects to launch Zavicefta in additional markets outside the USA throughout 2017 and 2018. Zavicefta was developed in response to the urgent medical need for new antibiotics for difficult-to-treat Gram-negative bacteria, many of which have become increasingly resistant to currently available antibiotics.

The antibiotic was developed by Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN), but last year it divested its interests in Zavicefta, as well as a portfolio of other antibiotics - Merrem (meropenem) and Zinforo (ceftaroline fosamil), which are available in more than 100 countries and generated sales of $250 million in 2015, to Pfizer, under a deal that provided AZ with an upfront payment of $550 million.

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