Pharmaceutical Business review

AlphaRx produces new antibiotic formulation

The active ingredient in Vansolin is Vancomycin, a very powerful antibiotic being used mainly in hospitals around the world to treat life-threatening infectious disease such as hospital acquired pneumonia, ventilator associated pneumonia and severe sepsis.

Vancomycin was introduced into hospitals more than forty years ago in response to new strains of Staphylococci that were growing resistant to penicillin. Vancomycin is now seen as the last-resort drug because it is often the last opportunity that a physician may have to eliminate a bacterial infection, since bacteria have become resistant to so many other drugs.

The company believes that encapsulating Vancomycin into nanoparticles may increase its efficacy. According to published research papers, in vitro the uptake of Vancomycin nanoparticles by white blood cells is 20 times more than free drug. The company hopes that these white blood cells will absorb Vansolin nanoparticles after IV infusion and carry them to the site of inflammation, thereby increasing the local concentration of Vancomycin and ultimately increasing its bactericidal activity.