BOSTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it presented new preclinical data on MK-2764 (formerly PTK 0796), a novel broad spectrum aminomethylcycline antibiotic derived from the tetracycline class, at the 46th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) last week.
MK-2764 represents a new class of antibiotic that has shown potent activity in animal models against multi-drug resistant and susceptible Gram- positive, Gram-negative, anaerobic and atypical bacteria. Oral and injectable forms of MK-2764 are in Phase I clinical development for the potential treatment of community and hospital respiratory tract, skin and skin structure and other bacterial infections. MK-2764 was discovered by Paratek and is being developed with Merck & Co., Inc. as part of a collaboration agreement announced in March.
The presentations at this year’s ICAAC on September 30th, covering studies conducted prior to Paratek’s agreement with Merck, are the most complete demonstration to date of the activity of MK-2764, according to Dr. Ken Tanaka, Vice President of Research and Development for Paratek. “In one study, MK- 2764 was potent against all tested strains of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),” Dr. Tanaka said. “These and other research findings presented here at ICAAC are indicators of the breadth of applications of MK-2764 and its potential importance, especially in addressing bacterial resistance to antibiotics.”
Stuart B. Levy, M.D., Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Paratek, noted that new antibiotic agents “are urgently needed to address the growing threat of difficult-to-treat, multi-drug resistant infectious disease agents.”
“Of tremendous concern are community-acquired strains of MRSA, which are estimated to represent more than half of all skin infections treated in U.S. emergency rooms,” Dr. Levy added. “There are few agents available that work reliably against these resistant strains now prevalent in skin infections in the community and hospital. Paratek’s MK-2764 has the potential to be a new treatment option in settings where MRSA infections typically occur.”
Studies at ICAAC
Four studies demonstrating the activity of MK-2764 against resistant and atypical bacteria and tissue-based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial infections were presented at the 46th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in San Francisco, CA.
These four studies were presented in the Poster Summary Session #226 on Saturday, September 30, 2006, at 10:00am-11:30am in Room 103.
-- “Antistaphylococcal Activity of MK-2764/PTK 0796 Compared to Other Agents,” K. SMITH, S.K. TANAKA, P.C. APPELBAUM. MK-2764/PTK 0796, a new aminomethylcycline, is potent against all S.aureus strains tested, irrespective of antibiotic resistance. Poster F1-1971. -- “In Vivo Pharmacodynamics of MK-2764/PTK 0796 against Various Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria in the Thighs of Neutropenic and Normal Mice,” W.A. CRAIG, D. ANDES, A. ODINECS. MK-2764/PTK 0796 exhibits potent efficacy against gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens including MSSA, MRSA, SP, EC and KP in animal studies. Poster F1-1974. -- “Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Profile of MK-2764/PTK 0796 against S. pneumoniae in a Murine Pneumonia Model,” P. R. TESSIER, H. W. FAN, S. K. TANAKA, D. P. NICOLAU. MK-2764/PTK 0796 is an effective agent against the pneumococcus in this animal model, and the pharmacodynamic parameter predictive of antibacterial activity is the (free)AUC/MIC. Poster F1-1973. -- “In Vitro Activity of MK-2764 / PTK 0796 against Legionella sp.,” J. DUBOIS, S. K. TANAKA. These data confirm the activity of this novel aminomethylcycline antibiotic, MK-2764 / PTK 0796, against Legionella spp, the cause of Legionella pneumonia. Poster F1-1972. About Paratek Pharmaceuticals
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is engaged in the discovery and commercialization of new therapeutics that treat serious and life-threatening diseases, with a particular focus on the growing worldwide problem of antibiotic resistance. Paratek is advancing novel compounds that can circumvent or block bacterial resistance. Paratek’s lead compound, MK-2764/PTK 0796, being developed in collaboration with Merck, has the potential to be a broad spectrum antibiotic with oral and IV formulations for the treatment of the most common community and hospital bacterial infections, including those caused by resistant strains such as MRSA. Paratek is developing small molecule drugs that can prevent infection by interfering with Multiple Adaptational Response (MAR) mechanisms in bacteria.
Outside the antibacterial therapeutic area, Paratek has also established an effort to exploit its novel tetracycline derivatives and their unique mechanism of action in selected anti-inflammatory and neurodegenerative conditions, including a collaboration to develop novel oral non-antibacterial tetracycline derivatives for multiple sclerosis with Serono SA. Paratek has an active chemical synthesis effort to produce novel and diverse small molecules, with the goal of developing non-antibacterial compounds with improved activity in serious inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases based upon a growing body of clinical and basic research supporting this approach.
Paratek is privately held and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. For more information, visit Paratek’s website at http://www.paratekpharm.com/.
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Investors: Kate Boxmeyer, Director of Finance, +1-617-275-0040ext. 238, kboxmeyer@paratekpharm.com, both of Paratek Pharmaceuticals;Media: Justin Jackson of Burns McClellan, +1-212-213-0006,jjackson@burnsmc.com, for Paratek
Web site: http://www.paratekpharm.com/
