Italian pharmaceutical company the Menarini Group said on Friday that it has entered into a commercial agreement for Vabomere, Orbactiv and Minocin in 68 Countries with Melinta Therapeutics, a US company.

Menarini will acquire the exclusive rights to commercialise meropenem/vaborbactam (Vabomere] in the US), oritavancin (Orbactiv) and minocycline IV (Minocin IV) in 68 countries in Europe, in Asia-Pacific including China, South Korea, and Australia (Japan excluded) and in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) including Russia, from Melinta Therapeutics.

This agreement reportedly follows Melinta and Menarini's existing commercial and co-development agreement for delafloxacin in the same 68 markets and consolidates Menarini's strategic focus on infectious diseases.

The marketing authorisation application for meropenem/vaborbactam is currently under review by EMA. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended a marketing authorisation for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal and urinary tract infections, hospital-acquired pneumonia, bacteraemia that occurs in association with any of these infections and infections due to aerobic gram-negative organisms where treatment options are limited.

According to the companies, Orbactiv, a long acting lipoglycopeptide, has been approved by EMA in the treatment of adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by susceptible designated gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Minocycline (minocin) is an anti-inflammatory antibiotic sometimes used to mild treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), concluded the companies.