NEW HAVEN, Conn, Sept. 6, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Melinta Therapeutics and Hartford Hospital today announced in vitro results from an investigator-sponsored study that highlight delafloxacin's activity in low pH environments, which are characteristic of infection sites.[1] Delafloxacin is an investigational fluoroquinolone under development for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections and uncomplicated gonorrhea.
In this study, which was conducted by Drs. Wonhee So, Jared Crandon and David Nicolau in the Center for Anti-Infective Research and Development at Hartford Hospital, urine samples were collected from patients suspected of having a urinary tract infection (UTI). Greater than 70% of these samples were acidic, with pH measured at or below 6.5. In all patient samples tested, delafloxacin was shown to be active against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, two pathogens that are frequently associated with complicated UTIs. Importantly, in the acidic samples (pH 5.0-6.0), delafloxacin's activity was found to be one to threefold greater than in normal or basic samples.
"The observation of delafloxacin's potent activity in acidic samples is encouraging and is consistent with Melinta's in vitro findings across a range of bacterial species. Further, these findings support our hypothesis that, particularly in acidic environments, this broad-spectrum agent may have utility in cUTI," noted Dr. Erin Duffy, Melinta's chief scientific officer.
Dr. Nicolau, director of the Center added, "Advancing development of new therapeutic interventions for both community- and healthcare-associated infections including cUTI is critical, as the number of cUTIs attributable to resistant gram-negative bacteria has risen dramatically."
Complete results from this study are being presented at the 54th annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), an American Society for Microbiology meeting. ICAAC is being held September 5-9, 2014 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.
About Melinta Therapeutics
Melinta Therapeutics, Inc. is dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of groundbreaking antibiotics to overcome drug-resistant, life-threatening infections. The need for new therapies for drug-resistant infections is widely recognized as one of the most serious public health issues facing the world today. To meet this need, Melinta Therapeutics is rapidly progressing its late-stage investigational antibiotic, delafloxacin, which is currently in Phase 3 development for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) and uncomplicated gonorrhea. Delafloxacin has been designated a qualified infectious disease product (QIDP) for both ABSSSI, uncomplicated gonorrhea and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A key initiative at Melinta is to develop, through the application of Nobel Prize-winning science, a new class of antibiotics designed to overcome the drug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens known to cause serious hospital infections. Melinta Therapeutics is privately held and backed by lead investor Vatera Healthcare Partners among other private investors. The company is headquartered in New Haven, CT with offices in Lincolnshire, IL.
For more information, visit www.melinta.com.
Footnote:
[1] Higgins, P.G. et al. Antimicrob Agents
Chemother. Apr 2010; 54(4): 1613-1615.