GARDP Inks Sublicense Agreement with Orchid Pharma To Produce Antibiotic For Gram-negative Infections

The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) and India-based Orchid Pharma Ltd (Orchid) have agreed to manufacture cefiderocol, an antibiotic used to treat certain Gram-negative infections. This agreement is a vital milestone in Shionogi & Co. Ltd. (Shionogi), GARDP, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)'s ambitious endeavor to provide cefiderocol access in a number of mostly low- and middle-income countries.

Infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria include pneumonia, bloodstream infections, wound or surgical site infections, and meningitis. Gram-negative bacteria are resistant to several medications and are becoming increasingly resistant to the majority of current antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Furthermore, the new agreement will expedite drug availability for tens of thousands of patients in areas with significant antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The project, which began in June of last year, represents a novel strategy for overcoming worldwide disparities in fair access to critical antibiotics.

“Even though populations in low-and middle-income countries face a high burden of death from drug-resistant bacterial infections, their access to antibiotics with activity against resistant bacteria is usually delayed by more than a decade. That situation may worsen given that the number of serious, potentially life-threatening, infections due to carbapenem-resistant bacteria has been growing across multiple regions, including South Asia and Latin America,” the organisation said in a statement on Tuesday. According to the project's description, it aims to speed appropriate access to a cheap, quality-assured antibiotic to treat drug-resistant Gram-negative infections.