Forest Announces FDA Approval of Teflaro

Forest Laboratories, Inc., recently announced today that Teflaro (ceftaroline fosamil), a broad-spectrum bactericidal cephalosporin with activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms, was FDA approved for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP), including cases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia, and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection (ABSSSI), including cases caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The efficacy and safety of Teflaro was established in pivotal trials including 1,219 patients treated with the drug, according to the company. Teflaro is a member of the cephalosporin class of antibiotics, the most frequently prescribed class of antibiotics in the world. Forest expects Teflaro to be available to wholesalers by January 2011. “Forest recognizes the enormous burden of disease associated with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, and we are extremely pleased to see that our first product in this category has obtained approval for both of these disease indications,” said Dirk Thye, President of Cerexa, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Forest Laboratories, Inc. “We eagerly anticipate the commercial launch of Teflaro and remain committed to bringing additional new treatments to market that target infectious diseases.”