Wockhardt's Investigational Drug, Zaynich™ cures complex case of meningitis caused by pan-drug resistant super-bug under compassionate use

In the past year, Wockhardt's investigational drug, Zaynich™ (Zidebactam/Cefepime), has successfully treated over 35 critically ill patients in India and US who were suffering from extremely drug-resistant infections under compassionate use. This drug has once again demonstrated its effectiveness in managing complex, deep-seated infections.

A recent notable case involved a 64-year-old patient with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension, who had been battling pulmonary and meningeal tuberculosis for about a year. Following a spinal puncture to withdraw cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the patient developed fever, drowsiness, and unconsciousness, leading to mechanical ventilation and a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. The condition was confirmed when CSF analysis identified a pan-drug resistant super-bug, Pseudomonas.

Initial treatments with Ceftazidime/Avibactam, Aztreonam, and Meropenem failed to halt the patient's deterioration, marked by persistent fever spikes and increasing infection markers such as C-Reactive Protein (CRP), procalcitonin, and white blood cells (WBC). Due to the significant toxicity and limited ability of Colistin and Polymyxin in crossing the blood-brain barrier, these options were deemed unsuitable.

Faced with no alternatives, a multi-disciplinary team of senior physicians opted to use Zidebactam/Cefepime under compassionate use. Treatment was administered for three weeks. Remarkably, within a short period, the patient's clinical condition improved, with CRP and procalcitonin levels decreasing, and the patient was successfully taken off the ventilator. CSF tests showed the eradication of the pathogen just one week into treatment, and subsequent tests confirmed the absence of Pseudomonas after three weeks of Zidebactam/Cefepime. The patient became clinically stable and all symptoms resolved leading to discharge from the hospital. The drug was well-tolerated throughout the treatment period.

Meningitis, an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, poses significant treatment challenges due to the difficulty of antibiotics in penetrating the blood-brain barrier. This case highlights Zidebactam/Cefepime's remarkable ability to tackle infections in difficult-to-treat body sites.

This represents the first case of nosocomial meningitis caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas successfully treated with Zidebactam/Cefepime, underscoring its potential as a valuable therapeutic option.

Shares of Wockhardt Limited was last trading in BSE at Rs. 956.65 as compared to the previous close of Rs. 987.70. The total number of shares traded during the day was 14650 in over 460 trades.

The stock hit an intraday high of Rs. 989.95 and intraday low of 950.00. The net turnover during the day was Rs. 14149888.00.

Source : Equity Bulls

Keywords

Wockhardt INE049B01025 Pharmaceuticals InvestigationalDrug Zaynich Zidebactam Cefepime Treatment DrugResistantInfections