India takes on the superbugs as Wockhardt moves on from copycat antibiotics

India’s push against superbugs is advancing as Wockhardt’s new antibiotic, Zaynich, clears key U.S. regulatory steps after years of drug-discovery investment. The intravenous treatment is designed to target highly resistant gram-negative bacteria and is built by combining cefepime with zidebactam, a newer molecule developed by Wockhardt. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, Zaynich is also supported by a European regulatory application still under review. The approval is tied to the company’s 25-to-30-year commitment to new chemical entity research led by chairman Habil Khorakiwala. The milestone also follows a 2009 crisis, when Wockhardt defaulted on Rs 473 crore of convertible bonds and faced manufacturing compliance problems that damaged its U.S. business.