The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Sivextro (tedizolid phosphate), a new antibacterial drug, to treat adults with skin infections.

Sivextro is approved to treat patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by certain susceptible bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible strains), various Streptococcus species, and Enterococcus faecalis. Sivextro is available for intravenous and oral use.

Sivextro is the second new antibacterial drug approved by the FDA in the past month to treat ABSSSI. On May 23, the agency approved Dalvance (dalbavancin), also to treat patients with ABSSSI caused by Staphylococcus aureus and various Streptococcus species.

“Today’s approval provides physicians and patients with a new treatment option for serious skin infections,” said Edward Cox, M.D., M.P.H, director of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The application for Sivextro, intended to treat serious or life-threatening infections, was designated as a qualified infectious disease product (QIDP) and received an expedited review. Sivextro’s QIDP designation also qualifies it for an additional five years of marketing exclusivity to be added to certain exclusivity periods already provided by the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

For more details, go to: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm402174.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery