MSD Pharmaceuticals has introduced ZIENAM, a broad spectrum antibiotic developed and marketed by the US drug maker Merck & Co., in the Indian pharmaceutical market ZIENAM is a highly effective drug in the treatment of patients who have developed resistance to antibiotics and therefore is a true response to the global problem of drug resistance.

Merck & Co., Inc., in India is known as MSD Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., Over the next five years, MSD, plans to invest in sales, marketing and research operations. MSD is establishing an Indian medical and clinical research division which will co-ordinate research projects with clinical investigators in India’s leading hospitals and universities.

"The launch of ZIENAM in India is part of Merck's continued commitment to introducing medicines and vaccines recognized by the medical community globally as key products for changing the course of diseases. ZIENAM is key especially in the treatment of hospitalized patients, who developed strong resistance to a wide spectrum of anti-microbial agents and whose infections have become life threatening, ''said Mr. Murali Parthasarathy, Marketing Director, MSD India.
 
ZIENAM is a prescription drug used in the therapy of Hospital bacterial infections and is indicated for prophylaxis as well as treatment. Imipenem, the key component of ZIENAM, makes the drug highly effective against pathogens of the gram-positive, gram-negative as well as aerobic and anaerobic spectra. Since the bactericidal activity of b-lactam antibiotics is broader than that of other antibiotic strains, ZIENAM is particularly indicated for the treatment of intra-abdominal infections, infections of the respiratory tract, gynecological and genitourinary infections, septicemia, skin and soft tissue infections, endocarditis and bone and joint infections.

Good clinical results have been achieved when administering the drug to patients with resistance to antibiotics of the cephalosporin and penicillin strains and in the treatment of poly-microbial and mixed aerobic/anaerobic infections. The record of ZIENAM includes 29 years of R&D, 20 years of clinical experience and over 26 million users worldwide. The drug acceptance and safety of ZIENAM is considered good and comparable to other b-lactam antibiotics. The side effects of ZIENAM are known and well documented. Clinical tests revealed these to be in the range of tolerance.