By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
Morristown, NJ pharmaceutical company, Melinta Therapeutics announced this week that their lipoglycopeptide antibiotic, KIMYRSA™ (oritavancin), is now commercially available.
Image/NIAID
KIMYRSA™ delivers a complete course of therapy for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) in a single, one hour, 1,200 mg infusion. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved KIMYRSA on March 12, 2021, for the treatment of adult patients with ABSSSI caused by susceptible isolates of designated Gram-positive microorganisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
“Melinta is focused on expanding our portfolio to provide innovative therapies to patients with an unmet need, and the launch of KIMYRSA demonstrates this commitment,” said Christine Ann Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer of Melinta. “Now, physicians and patients will have a new, one-hour, single-dose alternative to the current standard of multi-dose regimens for ABSSSI. Our vision is that all patients who need our therapies will be able to receive them and we believe this important new medicine will provide patients with more flexibility and accessibility in ABSSSI treatment outside of the hospital setting.”
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ABSSSIs affect approximately 14 million patients in the U.S. each year, are responsible for more than 3 million visits to the emergency room annually, and represent the 8th most common cause of emergency department hospital admissions. ABSSSIs cost U.S. hospitals $4 billion each year, with a 4.0-day average length of stay for a hospitalized ABSSSI patient.
“KIMYRSA is a direct response to the requests of the medical community to provide an oritavancin product with a shorter infusion time, additional diluent options, and lower infusion volume,” said John Harlow, Chief Commercial Officer. “As the second product in the oritavancin franchise, our commercial team has deep experience serving this market and we are excited to have begun introducing this new therapy to our customers.”
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