Good Ph II data in cSSSI for Cerexa's ceftaroline

The USA's Cerexa has reported positive top-line results from a Phase II clinical trial of ceftaroline for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI). This observer-blinded trial evaluated the cephalosporin antibiotic versus standard therapy in 100 patients at 24 study sites worldwide.

Cerexa noted that the clinical cure rate was 96.8% for subjects treated with ceftaroline and 88.9% for those on a standard therapy of vancomycin, with or without adjunctive aztreonam, in the clinically evaluable population, and the microbiological response rate was 95.2% versus 85.7%, adding that ceftaroline demonstrated "excellent activity" against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.