In a first-of-its-kind arrangement, Shionogi has reached an agreement with the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership to license an antibiotic to dozens of mostly low- and middle-income countries in a bid to combat antimicrobial resistance.
The deal involves cefiderocol, which is used to treat gram-negative bacteria, a type of superbug that is increasingly resistant to most antibiotics. The bacteria, which can cause such infections as cholera, pose a particular threat for people with weak or undeveloped immune systems, including newborns, aging populations, people undergoing surgery, and patients being treated for cancer.