In the study, a 30-day course of oral Cethromycin was 100% protective against a lethal dose of inhaled anthrax as compared to the standard of care, Bayer’s Cipro (ciprofloxacin), which demonstrated 90% protection.
Dr Michael Flavin, CEO for Advanced Life Sciences, said: “We believe that Cethromycin’s unique antibacterial properties differentiate it from other antibiotics and, if approved by the FDA, may allow it to become a useful tool in the treatment of infections such as anthrax.”
Cethromycin was recently granted orphan drug designation by the FDA for the prophylactic treatment of inhalation anthrax and is being developed in collaboration with US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Cethromycin, which has been tested in over 4,400 human subjects, is also in pivotal phase III trials for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia.