J&J/Basilea's ceftobiprole gets first European approval as Swissmedic clears it for cSSI

Switzerland's drug regulator has approved Zevtera (ceftobiprole medocaril) for complicated skin and soft-tissue infections. The potential blockbuster was originated by local firm Basilea Pharmaceutica and developed in collaboration with US health care major Johnson & Johnson.

J&J's Janssen-Cilag unit will market the agent in Switzerland, while Basilea says it will co-promote it in key European markets and North America.

The broad-spectrum, cephalosporin antibiotic is effective against a range of difficult-to-treat Gram-positive and Gram-negative hospital- and community-acquired pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In clinical trials, ceftobiprole has demonstrated high cure rates in patients with complicated skin infections, including those caused by the potentially deadly MRSA, J&J noted.