Pharmaceutical Business review

EMA committee issues positive opinion for Merck’s Sivextro to treat ABSSSI

The company acquired Sivextro, as a part of its purchase through a subsidiary of Cubist Pharmaceuticals.

Sivextro is a once-daily oxazolidinone antibiotic developed for both intravenous and oral administration to treat serious infections caused by certain Gram-positive bacteria.

The CHMP positive opinion will be reviewed by the European Commission, following which it will grant a centralized marketing authorization with unified labeling that is valid in the 28 countries that are members of the EU, as well as European Economic Area members, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

In the US, Sivextro is approved to treat ABSSSI caused by susceptible isolates of the following Gram-positive microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus anginosus group, and Enterococccus faecalis.

The company said that the most common adverse reactions for Sivextro are nausea, headache, diarrhea, vomiting and dizziness.