( BASEL Switzerland April 3 2007 (PRI...)Scientific Results Presented At ECCMID Demonstrate Well-,Differentiated Profile of Basilea's Two Phase III Anti- infective,Compounds,Health

BASEL, Switzerland, April 3, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- New data presented at ECCMID highlight the microbiological and pharmacokinetic profiles of Basilea's (SWX:BSLN) two late-stage drug candidates ceftobiprole and isavuconazole. Studies reported both for ceftobiprole, the first anti-MRSA broad-spectrum cephalosporin in late-stage development, and for isavuconazole, a novel azole for the treatment of invasive fungal infections, yielded further data on their respective breadths of spectrum, and pharmacokinetic properties.

Ceftobiprole is developed in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C.

Eleven posters plus one oral presentation on ceftobiprole and seven posters on isavuconazole were presented at the 17th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), and highlighted the potentially attractive profiles of Basilea's two late-stage development compounds.

With positive data reported for two pivotal trials in complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) ceftobiprole is approaching regulatory filing. Further evidence of the microbiological and pharmacokinetic profiles of this investigational compound was presented at ECCMID. Ceftobiprole has a broad in vitro spectrum, in particular activity against MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus). In vitro susceptibility testing showed potent activity against all staphylococci collected in the first phase III cSSSI study, including MRSA and other multi-drug resistant pathogens (P2027). Testing these strains for the PVL gene, a marker for staphylococcal virulence, showed that the potential clinical efficacy of ceftobiprole is not impaired by the presence of this marker (P1321, O120). The antibacterial activity of ceftobiprole against Gram-positive organisms, including MRSA, is once more demonstrated in various in vitro studies (P710, P781, P784). Furthermore, ceftobiprole had the most potent activity of all
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