Large, contemporary, cross-sectional study highlights the urgent need for local epidemiology data to be available to inform empiric antibiotic choices that are concordant with the IDSA/ATS community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) guidelines

DUBLIN, Ireland, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nabriva Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ: NBRV), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the commercialization and development of innovative anti-infective agents to treat serious infections, announced the publication of a study entitled, A Multicenter Evaluation of the U.S. Prevalence and Regional Variation in Macrolide Resistant S. pneumoniae from Blood or Respiratory Cultures among Adult Patients (Abstract #5523), online in the proceedings of 30^th European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).

This study assessed 3,510 patients with a positive S. pneumoniae blood or respiratory culture in the ambulatory and inpatient setting at 329 hospitals across nine U.S. Census geographic regions over 12 months ending 3Q2019 to determine the prevalence and rates of macrolide resistance in S. pneumoniae. Macrolide resistance was observed in 47.3 percent of S. pneumoniae obtained from respiratory cultures, and 29.6 percent from blood cultures. Higher rates of macrolide resistance were seen among ambulatory patients (45.3 percent) as compared with inpatients (37.8 percent). While the overall rate of macrolide resistance was 39.5 percent, regional variation occurred, ranging from 13.9 percent in the Mountain region to 54.2 percent in the West North Central region, demonstrating the importance of local epidemiology data to inform selection of empiric therapy for patients with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP).

“These results are a stark reminder of the urgent need for innovative antibacterial agents with a new mechanism of action to address the growing public health threat of antibiotic resistance,” said Jennifer Schranz, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Nabriva. “S. pneumoniae has been designated as a serious threat by the CDC, and the high rates of macrolide resistant S. pneumoniae from respiratory and blood isolates throughout the United States highlight the urgent need for timely epidemiology information to be readily available so that physicians can make evidence-based decisions about empiric antibiotic therapy for patients with CABP.”

S. pneumoniae is the leading cause of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP), a lung infection and the most common type of pneumonia that occurs outside of hospitals or other health care facilities. In its 2019 Antibiotic Threats Report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designated macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae as a “Serious Threat” to patients. According to the CDC, S. pneumoniae causes 900,000 infections and 3,600 deaths annually. Joint guidelines issued by the Infectious Disease Society of America and the American Thoracic Society (IDSA/ATS) for the treatment of CABP recommend macrolide antibiotics only be used in geographical regions where outpatient macrolide resistance is less than 25 percent.

“The high rate of macrolide resistant S. pneumoniae in this epidemiologic study is concerning to me,” says Dr. Julio Ramirez, M.D., FACP, Professor of Medicine and Chief, Division of Infectious disease at the University of Louisville, Kentucky. “Clinicians must take local resistance rates into consideration as well as assess risk factors for poor outcomes, such as being elderly or having co-morbidities, prior to selecting empiric antimicrobial therapy.” 

XENLETA™ is a first-in-class systemic pleuromutilin antibiotic for the intravenous (IV) and oral treatment of CABP in adults. XENLETA offers an effective and well tolerated empiric monotherapy for CABP with a treatment duration as short as five days and the potential to address the limitations of existing agents.

XENLETA has a novel mechanism of action that targets a binding site on bacteria that is different from existing antibiotics. It has been shown to result in no cross resistance to other antibiotic classes commonly prescribed for CABP and a low potential for the development of resistance. XENLETA is also convenient for patients being treated in the hospital, transitioning treatment out of the hospital or initiating treatment in the community.

About Nabriva Therapeutics plc

Nabriva Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the commercialization and development of innovative anti-infective agents to treat serious infections. Nabriva Therapeutics received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for XENLETA (lefamulin injection, lefamulin tablets), the first systemic pleuromutilin antibiotic for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). Nabriva Therapeutics is also developing CONTEPO™ (fosfomycin) for injection, a potential first-in-class epoxide antibiotic for complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including acute pyelonephritis. For more information, please visit www.nabriva.com.

About XENLETA

XENLETA (lefamulin) is a first-in-class semi-synthetic pleuromutilin antibiotic for systemic administration in humans discovered and developed by the Nabriva Therapeutics team. It is designed to inhibit the synthesis of bacterial protein, which is required for bacteria to grow. XENLETA’s binding occurs with high affinity, high specificity and at molecular sites that are different than other antibiotic classes. Efficacy of XENLETA was demonstrated in two multicenter, multinational, double-blind, double-dummy, non-inferiority trials assessing a total of 1,289 patients with CABP.  In these trials, XENLETA was compared with moxifloxacin and in one trial, moxifloxacin with and without linezolid. Patients who received XENLETA had similar rates of efficacy as those taking moxifloxacin alone or moxifloxacin plus linezolid. The most common adverse reactions associated with XENLETA included diarrhea, nausea, reactions at the injection site, elevated liver enzymes, and vomiting. For more information, please visit www.xenleta.com.

INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

INDICATION

XENLETA is a pleuromutilin antibacterial indicated for the treatment of adults with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) caused by the following susceptible microorganisms: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-susceptible isolates), Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae.

USAGE

To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of XENLETA and other antibacterial drugs, XENLETA should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

CONTRAINDICATIONS

XENLETA is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to XENLETA or pleuromutilins.

XENLETA tablets are contraindicated for use with CYP3A4 substrates that prolong the QT interval.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

XENLETA has the potential to prolong the QT interval. Avoid XENLETA in patients with known QT prolongation, ventricular arrhythmias, and patients receiving drugs that may prolong the QT interval.

Based on animal studies, XENLETA may cause fetal harm. Advise females of reproductive potential of the potential risk to the fetus and to use effective contraception.

Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported with nearly all systemic antibacterial agents, including XENLETA, with severity ranging from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Evaluate if diarrhea occurs.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

The most common adverse reactions (≥2%) for (a) XENLETA Injection are administration site reactions, hepatic enzyme elevation, nausea, hypokalemia, insomnia, and headache and (b) XENLETA Tablets are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and hepatic enzyme elevation.

USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

In patients with severe hepatic impairment, reduce the dosage of XENLETA Injection to 150 mg infused over 60 minutes every 24 hours. XENLETA Tablets are not recommended in patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment due to insufficient information to provide dosing recommendations.

Avoid XENLETA Injection and Tablets with concomitant strong or moderate CYP3A or P-gp inducers. Monitor for reduced efficacy of XENLETA.

Avoid XENLETA Tablets with strong CYP3A or P-gp inhibitors.

Monitor for adverse reactions of sensitive CYP3A substrates administered with XENLETA Tablets.

XENLETA has not been studied in pregnant women. Verify pregnancy status in females prior to initiating XENLETA and advise females to use contraception during treatment and for 2 days after the final dose. Lactating women should pump and discard milk for the duration of treatment with XENLETA and for 2 days after the final dose.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, or administration during pregnancy, contact Nabriva Therapeutics US, Inc. at 1-855-5NABRIVA or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch.

Please see Full Prescribing Information for XENLETA.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Nabriva Therapeutics, including but not limited to statements about its ability to successfully launch and commercialize XENLETA for the treatment of CABP, including the availability of and ease of access to XENLETA through major U.S. specialty distributors, marketing exclusivity and patent protection for XENLETA, the development of CONTEPO for cUTI, the clinical utility of XENLETA for CABP and of CONTEPO for cUTI, plans for and timing of the review of regulatory filings for CONTEPO, efforts to bring CONTEPO to market, the market opportunity for and the potential market acceptance of XENLETA for CABP and CONTEPO for cUTI, the development of XENLETA and CONTEPO for additional indications, the development of additional formulations of XENLETA and CONTEPO, plans for making lefamulin available in China, plans to pursue research and development of other product candidates, expectations regarding the ability of customers to satisfy demand for XENLETA with their existing inventory, the sufficiency of Nabriva Therapeutics’ existing cash resources and its expectations regarding anticipated revenues from product sales and how far into the future its existing cash resources will fund its ongoing operations and other statements containing the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “likely,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: Nabriva Therapeutics’ ability to successfully implement its commercialization plans for XENLETA and whether market demand for XENLETA is consistent with its expectations, Nabriva Therapeutics’ ability to build and maintain a sales force for XENLETA, the content and timing of decisions made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory authorities, the uncertainties inherent in the initiation and conduct of clinical trials, availability and timing of data from clinical trials, whether results of early clinical trials or studies in different disease indications will be indicative of the results of ongoing or future trials, uncertainties associated with regulatory review of clinical trials and applications for marketing approvals, the availability or commercial potential of CONTEPO for the treatment of cUTI, the ability to retain and hire key personnel, the availability of adequate additional financing on acceptable terms or at all and such other important factors as are set forth in Nabriva Therapeutics’ annual and quarterly reports and other filings on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Nabriva Therapeutics’ views as of the date of this press release. Nabriva Therapeutics anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while Nabriva Therapeutics may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Nabriva Therapeutics’ views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

CONTACTS:

For Investors
Gary Sender
Nabriva Therapeutics plc
ir@nabriva.com

For Media
Mike Beyer
Sam Brown Inc.
mikebeyer@sambrown.com
312-961-2502