Wyeth waits on pneumonia treatment approval

Patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) may soon be treated with a new antibiotic from Wyeth, Tygacil (tigecycline), it says.

For use in adult patients with CAP, Tygacil was previously approved in June 2005 for treating of adult patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections and complicated skin and skin structure infections.

Wyeth provided detailed data on the risks and benefits of Tygacil in relation to liver damage, though the US Food and Drug Administration noted it has not yet reviewed this information.

Gary L Stiles, executive vice president and chief medical officer, said: “We believe the data from our current clinical development program support Tygacil as a potential therapeutic option for patients with CAP.”

CAP is acquired outside a hospital environment or long-term care facility and is an infection of the lungs that results in decreased ability to function normally and displays symptoms including cough, fever, chills, fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain.

According to Patient UK, currently around 83,000 people are admitted to hospital each year with CAP.