AstraZeneca to acquire Novexel and work with Forest Laboratories

AstraZeneca will acquire Noxexel, it revealed this week, a private firm that specialises in infection research.

Additionally, the organisation announced that it will collaborate with Forest Laboratories to co-develop two late-stage antibiotic development programmes – ceftazidime/NXL-104 (CAZ104) and ceftaroline/NXL-104 (CEF104).

These combinations make use of Novexel’s novel investigational beta-lactamase inhibitor NXL-104 to tackle antibiotic-resistance and treat infections that have become resistant to current drugs.

Anders Ekblom, executive vice-president of development at AstraZeneca, said: “Building AstraZeneca’s anti-infective portfolio has become a strategic priority as antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a growing threat to human health.”

Earlier this month, AstraZeneca’s chief medical officer welcomed approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its CRESTOR (rosuvastatin calcium) treatment.

Dr Howard Hutchinson was commenting after the FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted in favour of the motion that the firm established sufficient benefit-to-offset-risks associated with the drug.