Merck’s infections drug Recarbrio wins FDA approval

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Merck’s treatment for urinary, abdominal infections gets FDA approval

 

July 17 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Merck & Co Inc’s combination treatment for complicated forms of urinary tract and abdominal infections, the drugmaker said on Wednesday.

Recarbrio, a combination of imipenem, cilastatin and relebactam, is approved for patients over 18 years who have limited or no alternative treatment options for treating these infections.

Merck, which expects to make Recarbrio available later this year, already has an approved treatment, Zerbaxa, for complicated urinary tract infections and intra-abdominal infections.

The company added Zerbaxa to its portfolio through its acquisitihere of Cubist Pharmaceuticals in 2014.

Patients with urinary tract infections can develop complications if an appropriate dose of the right antibiotics are not administered. At least 20% of complications are caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria that severely limit treatment options.

Nearly 23,000 people in the U.S. die from UTI complications annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

(Reporting by Aakash Jagadeesh Babu and Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

 

Reuters source:

https://www.reuters.com/article/merck-co-fda/update-1-mercks-treatment-for-urinary-abdominal-infections-gets-fda-approval-idUSL4N24I2HG?feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews