Iterum Therapeutics Reels from Antibiotic Phase III Fail

An antibiotic candidate developed by the Irish company Iterum Therapeutics has failed to meet the main goal of a phase III trial, a blow for efforts to meet the challenge of global antibiotic resistance. Iterum Therapeutics’ drug sulopenem was tested in a phase III trial that recruited 674 patients suffering from complicated intra-abdominal infections. These are the second most deadly type of infection for patients in intensive care. The aim of the trial was to show that sulopenem was as good at treating the infections as ertapenem, an approved antibiotic for the condition. According to the trial results, sulopenem treated the infection in almost 5% fewer patients than ertapenem. The drug statistically failed to show that it was as good as its approved counterpart.