Wockhardt’s experimental antibiotic, Zaynich, currently in Phase III clinical trials, played a critical role in facilitating a liver transplant by successfully clearing a chronic bile duct infection in the USA. The company announced this development on December 16, leading to a 10% surge in its share price during early Monday trade.
Zaynich eradicated two extreme drug-resistant pathogens in the patient, allowing the resumption of chemotherapy for the 73-year-old. So far, 45 patients with severe Gram-negative infections have benefited from the compassionate use of Zaynich. In the United States, the FDA grants compassionate use approvals on a patient-specific basis under expanded access programs.
In an update, Wockhardt said the patient had received over six weeks of broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment but showed persistence of fever and infection markers and hence the liver transplant was getting delayed. However, after 15 days of treatment with Zaynich, the infection was brought under control and the way for liver transplant was cleared.
Zaynich is a novel agent under the category of ‘β-lactam enhancers’ that is under investigation for complicated urinary tract infections, including acute pyelonephritis.
Earlier in May 2024, Wockhardt announced that Zaynich had a 100% clinical cure rate in 30 critically ill patients with life-threatening, extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative infections. These included severe infections such as hospital-acquired pneumonia, bloodstream infections, necrotizing fasciitis, and osteomyelitis caused by resistant pathogens like Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, and E. coli.
This success story further underscores the potential of Zaynich to answer unmet critical medical needs in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
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Source: Moneycontrol
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