Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. announced that its partner Hikma Pharmaceuticals LLC has launched Basilea's hospital antibiotic Zevtera (ceftobiprole) in Saudi Arabia.

Adesh Kaul, chief corporate development officer, said: "We are very pleased with the launch of Zevtera in Saudi Arabia. This is the first launch by our partner Hikma, a leading pharmaceutical company in the Middle East and North Africa region. Infections with bacteria resistant to established antibiotics remain a major health care concern across this region. Following the market entry in Saudi Arabia we are therefore looking forward to Hikma expanding the availability of Zevtera to further countries in the Middle East and North Africa."

Zevtera is approved in Saudi Arabia for the treatment of adult patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), excluding ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Basilea entered into a distribution and license agreement for Zevtera with Hikma in 2015 and for the antifungal Cresemba (isavuconazole) in 2016. Ceftobiprole is a cephalosporin antibiotic for intravenous administration with rapid bactericidal activity against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including methicillin-susceptible and resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, MRSA) and susceptible Pseudomonas spp.1 Ceftobiprole is approved for the treatment of adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), excluding ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).1 It is marketed in major European countries, Argentina, Canada and Saudi Arabia. Basilea has entered into license and distribution agreements for the brand in Europe, Latin America, China, Canada, Israel, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Ceftobiprole is currently in a phase 3 clinical program for registration in the US

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections and has been shown to have among the highest mortality rates of all hospital-acquired infections.2 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most frequent causes of hospital-acquired pneumonia.3 There is an increasing burden of antibiotic resistance, including MRSA, in countries of the Middle East and North Africa region.4,5 Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common condition with up to 60% of the patients requiring hospital admission and intravenous antibiotics.6 Prompt empiric intervention with an appropriate broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment is considered a best medical practice. The increasing incidence of bacteria resistant to many established antibiotics is a major concern.