New Haven, Conn, June 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Melinta Therapeutics, a privately held company developing novel antibiotics to treat serious bacterial infections, has entered into a loan and securities financing agreement with Oberland Capital Management, LLC (Oberland Capital). Under the terms of the agreement, Melinta is eligible to receive up to $90M in the form of debt and equity. A significant portion was funded upon the approval of the NDAs for Baxdela™ (delafloxacin), and the company may also draw down capital in three additional tranches at Melinta’s option and after the achievement of certain conditions. Proceeds from this financing will be used primarily to fund commercialization activities for Baxdela, which was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ABSSSI (Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections).
“This largely non-dilutive financing gives us increased flexibility to fund our continuing commercialization efforts for Baxdela’s first approved indication, and to support indication-expanding studies in community-acquired bacterial pneumonia,” explained Paul Estrem, Melinta’s chief financial officer. “The agreement with Oberland is particularly attractive because it allows us to retire an earlier debt agreement, and provides for a cash-sparing repayment method that combines interest and low, single-digit revenue interest payments over a period of more than seven years. Oberland partnered well with Melinta to finalize the agreement and address our business needs, and we are enthusiastic about adding them to the team of investors supporting Melinta’s efforts.”
About Baxdela
Baxdela (delafloxacin) tablets and intravenous injection are approved for the treatment of ABSSSI (Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections). Baxdela was given priority review by the FDA due to its designation as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) under the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Act of 2012. The QIDP designation qualifies Baxdela for certain incentives related to the development of new antibiotics, including a five-year extension of any non-patent exclusivity period awarded to the drug.
INDICATION & USAGE
Baxdela is indicated in adults for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by susceptible isolates of the following:
Gram-positive organisms: Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-resistant [MRSA] and methicillin-susceptible [MSSA] isolates), Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus anginosus group (including Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus intermedius, and Streptococcus constellatus), Streptococcus pyogenes, and Enterococcus faecalis;
Gram-negative organisms: Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:
WARNING: SERIOUS ADVERSE REACTIONS INCLUDING TENDINITIS, TENDON RUPTURE, PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY, CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM EFFECTS, AND EXACERBATION OF MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
Fluoroquinolones have been associated with disabling and potentially irreversible serious adverse reactions that have occurred together, including:
- Tendinitis and tendon rupture
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Central nervous system effects
Discontinue Baxdela immediately and avoid the use of fluoroquinolones, including Baxdela, in patients who experience any of these serious adverse reactions.
Fluoroquinolones may exacerbate muscle weakness in patients with myasthenia gravis. Avoid Baxdela in patients with known history of myasthenia gravis.
Contraindications
Baxdela is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to Baxdela or other fluoroquinolones.
Warnings and Precautions
Risk of tendinitis, tendon rupture, peripheral neuropathy and central nervous system effects is increased with use of fluoroquinolones. Discontinue Baxdela immediately at the first signs or symptoms of any of these serious adverse reactions.
Avoid Baxdela in patients with known history of myasthenia gravis.
Hypersensitivity Reactions may occur after first or subsequent doses of Baxdela. Discontinue Baxdela at the first sign of hypersensitivity.
Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea has been reported in users of nearly all systemic antibacterial drugs, including Baxdela. Evaluate if diarrhea occurs.
Prescribing Baxdela in the absence of a proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and increases the risk of the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
Adverse Reactions
The most common adverse reactions in patients treated with Baxdela were nausea (8%), diarrhea (8%), headache (3%), transaminase elevations (3%), and vomiting (2%).
Use in Specific Populations
In patients with severe renal impairment (eGFR of 15-29 mL/min/1.73 m2) dosing of Baxdela should be dosed at 200 mg IV every 12 hours or 450 mg orally every 12 hours. Baxdela is not recommended in patients with End Stage Renal Disease [ESRD] (eGFR of <15 mL/min/1.73 m2) due to insufficient information to provide dosing recommendations.
About Melinta
Melinta Therapeutics, Inc. is dedicated to saving lives threatened by the global public health crisis of bacterial infections, through the development and commercialization of novel antibiotics that provide new and better therapeutic solutions. Melinta’s lead product is Baxdela, an antibiotic approved by the US FDA for use in the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). Melinta is also committed to developing, through the application of Nobel Prize-winning science, a new class of antibiotics designed to overcome the multi- and extremely-drug-resistant pathogens for which there are few to no options, known collectively as ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter species and Escherichia coli), which cause the majority of life-threatening hospital infections.
Melinta Therapeutics is privately held and backed by Vatera Healthcare Partners (www.vaterahealthcare.com) and Malin Corporation plc (www.malinplc.com), among other private investors. The company is headquartered in New Haven, CT with offices in Lincolnshire, IL. Visit www.melinta.com for more information.
About Oberland Capital
Oberland Capital is an investment firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry specializing in flexible, non-dilutive investment structures customized to meet the specific capital requirements and strategic objectives of transaction partners globally. The firm offers a broad suite of financing solutions including the monetization of royalty streams, acquisition of future product revenues, creation of project-based financing structures, and investment in debt and equity securities. The firm was founded by Jean-Pierre Naegeli and Andrew Rubinstein. For more information, please visit oberlandcapital.com.