Astellas secures global rights to telavancin

USA-based drugmaker Theravance and Japanese pharmaceuticcal major Astellas have agreed to add Japan to their collaboration for the development and commercialization of Theravance's investigational antibiotic, telavancin, thereby giving Astellas worldwide rights to this potential drug.

The agent is a novel lipoglycopeptide injectable antibiotic that targets serious Gram-positive infections including those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Previously-presented data showed that telavancin has a multifunctional mechanism of action that the companies believe results in bacterial killing and may help reduce the risk of resistance.

The agent is currently in Phase III studies outside Japan for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections, for which patient enrollment has been completed, as well as hospital-acquired pneumonia. Phase I studies for Japanese registration are being prepared to commence later this year.