Lefamulin is effective in vitro against bacterial pneumonia and other respiratory pathogens, Healio.com reports. The investigational drug is now in phase 3 trials.
According to the researchers, lefamulin interferes with bacterial translation when it uses an induced fit mechanism to bind to certain sites on cell ribosomes, a strategy that File said makes the drug unique.
One of the studies included 776 bacterial isolates collected from patients with community-acquired respiratory tract infections (n = 477), pneumonia (n = 282), blood infections (n = 14) or other infections (n =3).
The isolates were treated with lefamulin and other antibiotics. The new drug worked powerfully, according to the researchers, who singled out specific pathogens.