China-based biotechnology company Zai Lab Ltd (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKG: 9688) has announced a strategic collaboration agreement with global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). The partnership grants Pfizer’s affiliated companies the exclusive rights to commercialize Xacduro (durlobactam, sulbactam) in mainland China. This collaboration, set to be in effect through November 2028, is anticipated to expedite patient access to the drug by leveraging Pfizer’s industry-leading commercialization infrastructure within the anti-infective therapeutic space. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Xacduro: A Groundbreaking Antimicrobial Agent
Xacduro is a unique combination of sulbactam, a β-lactam antibiotic, and durlobactam, a β-lactamase inhibitor (BLI). It is the only antimicrobial agent specifically developed to treat carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB). The drug received approval in the US in 2023 and in China in 2024 for the treatment of hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP) in patients aged 18 years and above caused by sensitive isolates of the Baumann calcium acetate Acinetobacter complex.
Zai Lab’s Licensing Deal and Regional Rights
In April 2018, Zai Lab entered into a licensing agreement with Entasis Therapeutics Holdings, an associate of Innoviva, securing exclusive development and commercialization rights to Xacduro in the Asia-Pacific region. This new collaboration with Pfizer further expands the drug’s reach and potential impact in the Chinese market.-Fineline Info & Tech
Leave a Reply