Zavicefta nears final negotiations for reimb in KOR

Pfizer's new antibiotic

Passed HIRA DREC review in September

Attention focused on whether a treatment option other than Jakabi will be released in Korea

Whether the next-generation antibiotic ‘Zavicefta’ will be successfully listed for reimbursement is gaining attention.

 

Under the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s order to proceed to drug pricing negotiations, Pfizer Korea is soon set to begin pricing discussions for ‘Zavicefta’ (ceftazidime-avibactam).

 

The drug passed the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service’s Drug Reimbursement Evaluation Committee review last September.

 

However, unlike other drugs that almost immediately started negotiations, the company wasn’t able to start drug pricing negotiations for the drug right away.

 

With the negotiations soon to begin, it remains to be seen whether a new antibiotic drug will be listed in an area where no other drug than MSD Korea's Zerbaxa (ceftolozane-tazobactam) has brought results.

 

Zavicefta was developed to address the urgent need for new antibiotics in severe infections that cause serious problems such as multidrug-resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa or carbapenem-resistant gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae and extended-spectrum-lactamase (ESBL) producing intestinal bacteria.

 

Zavicefta is used to treat adult patients suffering from complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI); complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including pyelonephritis; hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP); and the treatment of aerobic Gram-negative infections in adult patients who have limited treatment options.

 

Zavicefta was originally developed by AstraZeneca.

 

In 2016, Pfizer acquired the drug while acquiring AstraZeneca’s antibiotic business.

 

Securing a new treatment alternative for carbapenem is a global health issue publicized by the WHO.

 

Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are increasing worldwide and have recently become a serious problem in healthcare-associated infections.

 

This is why the WHO had designated carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a Priority 1: Critical pathogen that requires research and development of new antibiotics.

 

Korea’s pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance rate to carbapenems is 30.6%, the second highest among the surveyed countries after Greece.

 

Also, the ESBL (extended-spectrum beta-lactamases)-producing Enterobacteriaceae are also showing resistance to cephalosporin antibiotics that are effective against a wide range of gram-negative bacteria.

 

Currently, new antibiotics available in Korea include MSD’s anti-infective Zerbaxa (ceftolozane-tazobactam) and Pfizer’s antifungal ‘Cresemba (isavuconazonium).’