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news.Nektar Therapeutics said that data from its phase IIa trial of its candidate for hospital-acquired gram-negative pneumonia is encouraging and may indicate a new approach for treating patients.
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NKTR-061 (inhaled amikacin) is an inhaled antibiotic product candidate that uses the company's micropump technology to rapidly deliver aerosolized antibiotics to the deep lungs, both within and outside of a ventilator system.
The phase IIa trial evaluated NKTR-061's pharmacokinetic, serum and tracheal aspirate concentrations, and its safety and antibiotic reduction properties. The study found that NKTR-061 reduced the frequency and duration of intravenous antibiotic administration, which is associated with antibiotic resistance, and was safe and well tolerated. The trial also found that the aerosol method effectively delivered the antibiotic to the lungs.
Michael Niederman, chairman of the Department of Medicine at the Winthrop-University Hospital and a lead investigator in the study, said: “The findings in the study raise the real possibility that the efficacious delivery of aerosolized antibiotics with the system used in this study can lead clinicians to use less systemic antibiotics, while still achieving clinical success. This in turn may make it possible to avoid further development of antibiotic resistance, which is a serious problem in this patient population.”