Drug firm Venus Remedies today said it has received patent from the US Patent Office for new antibiotic product which targets drug resistant infections.
The product, CSE 1034, has been found to be effective against a wide range of drug resistant infections, including the ‘superbugs’ the company said in a statement.
Venus Medical Research Centre Vice President Mr Mufti Suhail Sayeed said: “The US patent of CSE 1034...is a landmark development for initiating the process of commercialisation of this novel drug, designed specifically to target growing bacterial resistance mechanisms“.
The innovation achieves greater significance as medical community world over, particularly in India, is looking for ways to deal with the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, the company said.
Emergence of ‘superbugs’ like carbapenemase resistant Metallobetalactamses has further complicated the scenario, it added.
The company said that in view of the urgency, regulatory agencies around the world are currently fast-tracking the approval process of antibiotic drugs.
“Even the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has recommended to the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to review drugs designed to target antibiotic resistance as ’orphan drugs’ to speed up their marketing approval,” Mr Sayeed said.
On the cost effectiveness of the product, the VMRC Joint MD Mr Manu Chaudhary said: “Experience with clinical studies on over 1,000 patients have indicated approximately 20 to 30 per cent reduction in cost of therapy compared to conventional therapies being used“.
Studies conducted in hospitals across India have shown that the novel antibiotic product is suitable for the treatment of a range of infections including hospital acquired (nosocomial) infections, Venus Remedies said.
The company is planning to launch this drug in India under the brand name Elores and is planning to have a pre-investigational new drug meeting with US FDA for fast track approval of this product, it added.
“Globally, the antibiotics market generated sales of $42 billion in 2009, representing 46 per cent of sales of anti -infective agents and 5 per cent of the global pharmaceutical market,” the company claimed.