By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Commercial stage biopharmaceutical company, Zai Lab Limited, announced today dosing of the first Chinese patient in the global ATTACK (Acinetobacter Treatment Trial Against Colistin) Phase 3 registrational trial evaluating the combination of sulbactam and durlobactam (SUL-DUR) for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections.

“With over 200,000 occurrences estimated each year, China ranks among the countries with the highest incidence of A. baumannii infections in the world. Most cases are caused by strains resistant to carbapenem antibiotics which are very difficult organisms to treat. For these patients where mortality rates are approaching 50%, new antibiotics replacing colistin are clearly needed,” said Harald Reinhart, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Autoimmune and Infectious Diseases. “Given the excellent in-vitro activity of sulbactam/durlobactam against MDR Acinetobacter and the demonstrated safety of the combination in clinical trials, we look forward to collaborating with our partner, Entasis Therapeutics, in the ATTACK trial.”

ATTACK is a global, two-part Phase 3 registrational trial enrolling approximately 300 patients with pneumonia and bloodstream infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. The data readout is expected in early 2021. Zai Lab and its partner, Entasis Therapeutics, will cooperate in conducting the trial in China with Zai Lab taking the operational lead by conducting the screening, enrollment and treatment of patients and coordinating development, registration and commercialization of SUL-DUR in specified countries in the Asia-Pacific region including Japan.

A. baumannii is a Gram-negative bacterium causing severe infections associated with high mortality and has emerged as a cause of numerous global outbreaks, displaying ever-increasing rates of antibiotic resistance, which greatly limits treatment options.

In China, A. baumannii accounts for approximately 11% of total Gram-negative infections. Based on a national surveillance of over 1,300 hospitals in China, there are over 200,000 A. baumannii infections per year, although the actual incidence is estimated to be much larger.