MRSA, the most concerning pathogen to surveyed for skin and skin structure infections

Arlington Medical Resources (AMR) and Decision Resources find that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most concerning pathogen to surveyed European infectious disease specialists with regard to their treatment of skin and skin structure infections. A drug's activity against MRSA is among the top factors that influences European physician drug selection for treating skin and skin structure infections. Other key factors that drive prescribing include an agent's skin penetration, its spectrum of activity and recommended use by national and hospital guidelines.

The new report entitled Hospital Anti-Infectives Insight Series: Skin & Skin Structure Infections (Europe) also finds that novel antibiotics in late-stage development may become useful therapeutic options for European physicians given their concern over MRSA. Two new injectable cephalosporins, Johnson & Johnson/Basilea's ceftobiprole and Forest/AstraZeneca/Takeda's ceftaroline, offer broad-spectrum activity against MRSA and may provide convenient monotherapy options for physicians requiring broad-spectrum activity against gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens. Surveyed European specialists express willingness to use these agents in empiric therapy for complicated skin and skin structure infections, particularly in patients with suspected MRSA infections.

"Specialists we surveyed in Europe told us that they anticipate shifts in prescribing that will impact the skin structure infection market in the near future. In particular, physicians believe they will increase their empiric coverage of MRSA in complicated skin and skin structure infections," stated Decision Resources Analyst Lisa Arias. "MRSA infections are a great concern in the hospital setting and are a growing concern in the community setting because of their association with poorer outcomes and higher healthcare costs compared with non-resistant infections."