Promising future for Cubist's Sivextro in anti-MRSA sector

Following its launch, Cubist Pharmaceutical’s (Nasdaq: CBST) second generation oxazolidinone Sivextro Sivextro will be highly differentiated from other anti-MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) agents for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSIs) due to MRSA, according to a new report from Decision Resources.

In particular, Sivextro's once-daily dosing, shorter course of therapy, and its potential for lower treatment-related adverse events are notable improvements over Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) Zyvox/Zyvoxid (linezolid), the current market share leader for MRSA cSSSIs. Accordingly, the Food and Drug Administration's Anti-Infective Drugs Advisory Committee unanimously recently recommended Sivextro's approval for the treatment of cSSSIs (The Pharma Letter April 2).

Other key findings from the DecisionBase report, titled Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections: In The Crowded MRSA cSSSI Market, How Will Emerging Therapies Differentiate Themselves from Current Standard of Care? are: