DRG Says Cubist's Sivextro Will Be Differentiated From Most Therapies

Decision Resources Group released a report stating that Cubist’s Sivextro will be highly differentiated from other anti-MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) treatments thanks to definite advantages over current and emerging therapies.

These include Sivextro’s once-daily dosing, shorter course of therapy, and potential for lower adverse events related to treatment. The FDA’s Anti-Infective Drugs Advisory Committee unanimously recommended Sivextro's approval for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSIs) due to MRSA.

Decision Resources Group Analyst Maria Ascano, said, “Although ID specialists consider efficacy to be the most important drug attribute for treating MRSA cSSSIs, the availability of many highly effective therapies will make it difficult for new entrants to differentiate themselves on efficacy improvements alone. However, because this segment of the market is dominated by older less well-tolerated parenteral antibiotics, developers can highlight safety and delivery improvements to capitalize on market opportunities.”

According to the report, early clinical response rates for MRSA cSSSIs are important. Almost 60 percent of surveyed U.S. ID specialists ranked early clinical response rate among their top three most persuasive endpoints, highlighting the impact of the FDA’s recommendation of early use as the primary endpoint in clinical trials. Equally important is the receptivity of payers to new anti-MRSA agents with shorter therapy lengths to help reduce cost of treatments.

“Therapies that can help promote early discharge or reduce hospital admissions will gain favorable uptake as healthcare providers aim to reduce hospital-associated costs. Therefore, agents providing convenient use in the outpatient setting, including availability in IV and oral formulations, shorter courses of therapy, or infrequent dosing, will be highly differentiated in this crowded market segment," said Ascano.

The full report “Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections: In The Crowded MRSA cSSSI Market, How Will Emerging Therapies Differentiate Themselves from Current Standard of Care?” can be obtained at Decision Resources Group.