Cubist Pharmaceuticals Begins Shipping Cubicin to U.S. Hospitals

LEXINGTON, Mass. -- Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has begun shipping its flagship antibiotic product, Cubicin (daptomycin for injection), to U.S. hospitals. Cubist received U.S. Food & Drug Administration marketing approval for Cunicin on Sept. 12, 2003.

Cubicin is indicated for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) caused by gram-positive bacteria, including those caused by MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and MSSA (methicillin-susceptible S. aureus). Cubicin is currently the only once-daily rapidly bactericidal antibiotic proven effective against both MRSA and MSSA.

Cubicin is an antibacterial agent from a new class of antibiotics called cyclic lipopeptides, and has clinical utility in the treatment of infections caused by aerobic gram-positive bacteria. The in vitro spectrum of activity of Cubicin encompasses most clinically relevant gram-positive pathogenic bacteria, including bacterial isolates resistant to methicillin, vancomycin and linezolid. In the U.S., MRSA now accounts for nearly 60 percent of staphylococcal infections in hospitals, and the incidence of MRSA in the community is on the rise as well.

To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of Cubicin and other antibacterial drugs, Cubicin should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria. Patients receiving Cubicin should be observed for the development of muscle pain or weakness and have creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels monitored weekly. Cubicin is not indicated for the treatment of pneumonia. The most commonly reported adverse events in the cSSSI clinical trials in adults were constipation, nausea and headache.

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of anti-infective drugs.

Source: Cubist Pharmaceuticals