PARIS, May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Novexel, a speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics designed to overcome the significant global problem of microbial resistance, announces that its two most advanced pipeline products NXL104 and NXL103 are the subject of four posters at the 19th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). The ECCMID conference is taking place in Helsinki between 16th and 19th May 2009.

NXL104, Novexel's broad spectrum class A and C beta-lactamase inhibitor, is the subject of one poster. Novexel is currently conducting two Phase II clinical trials in patients with complicated urinary tract infections and complicated intra-abdominal infections with NXL104 in combination with ceftazidime. The poster provides in vitro data showing that a ceftazidime/NXL104 combination is rapidly bactericidal against a range of beta-lactamase-producing strains of Enterobacteriaceae, including E. coli, and Klebsiella. Data presented also showed that one of the most important factors affecting the pharmacodynamics of the combination is maintaining a critical concentration of the inhibitor (NXL104) to suppress beta-lactamase activity. (Poster P 1463).

NXL103, a novel oral streptogramin antibiotic, is the subject of three posters at the ECCMID conference. Novexel has recently completed a successful Phase II study with NXL103 in patients with community acquired pneumonia. The first of the three posters provides in vitro data showing that NXL103 was active against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and organisms responsible for lower respiratory tract infections, including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae , (Poster P 1393). The second poster contains in vivo data demonstrating that, following oral administration, NXL103 was able to kill intracellular drug-resistant and non-drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus in infected macrophages, (Poster P 1025). The final poster shows that NXL103 was active in vitro against both community-acquired and hospital-acquired strains of MRSA. The poster also showed that NXL103 was subject to a low spontaneous frequency of resistance (Poster P 1102).

It is Novexel's intention to seek partners for both the NXL104/ceftazidime combination and NXL103 in certain geographies.

All four posters will be available for download from Novexel's web site (http://www.novexel.com) shortly after the close of the ECCMID conference.

About Novexel

Novexel is a speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics designed to overcome the significant global problem of microbial resistance. The ever increasing resistance to marketed antibiotics has led to a clear need for novel drugs that are active against multi-drug resistant bacteria. Novexel's products are targeting the global hospital antibiotic market, which was worth an estimated US$17bn in 2008.[1]

Novexel currently has two novel antibacterials in Phase II clinical development. These are the injectable beta-lactamase inhibitor, NXL104, which is being developed in combination with the cephalosporin antibiotic ceftazidime for serious Gram negative infections, and the oral streptogramin antibiotic, NXL103, for the treatment of Gram positive infections, with a focus on treatment in the hospital setting and intravenous (IV) to oral switch. Novexel has three further programmes in preclinical development, NXL105, a novel anti-Pseudomonal antibiotic, NXL201, a novel echinocandin antifungal agent, and NXL104 in combination with ceftaroline. This latter product is being developed by Novexel's partner, Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX), solely for North American markets.

Novexel was created in December 2004 as an independent spin-out of the sanofi-aventis (Euronext Paris: SAN, NYSE: SNY) anti-infectives unit. Novexel has a team of 50 employees with significant experience in anti-infective research and development, who are located in Paris, France and Philadelphia, USA.

    [1] Source: IMS Health, MIDAS, 2006-2008

    For further information please contact:
    Novexel
    Gordon Waldron, CFO
    gordon.waldron@novexel.com

    Citigate Dewe Rogerson
    Amber Bielecka/David Dible/Nina Enegren
    Tel.: +44-207-638-95-71
    amber.bielecka@citigatedr.co.uk

SOURCE Novexel

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