Phase III data on possible new antibiotic class, developed by Nabriva

After strong overnight trading, shares in Nabriva Therapeutics opened 96% higher yesterday. At the close, shares were up nearly a third from the day before.

The Austrian firm, which is listed in New York and incorporated in Ireland, released positive Phase III data showing the LEAP trial into antibiotic candidate lefamulin had met its primary endpoint of non-inferiority compared to moxifloxacin.

Lefamulin could be a new class of antibiotic, of the pleuromutilin type.

The company says that: “Due to lefamulin’s flexible dosing and targeted spectrum of activity against the pathogens most commonly associated with community acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP), including multi-drug resistant strains, Nabriva believes that lefamulin is well suited to be a first-line therapy.”

Nabriva expects data from a second pivotal trial, LEAP 2, which is evaluating all oral lefamulin for the treatment of CABP, in the first quarter of 2018.