Cubist Pharmaceuticals Announce New Zurich Office
Cubist Pharmaceuticals, who specialise in the development of antibiotics for infectious diseases, has announced the launch of their new international headquarters based in Zurich, Switzerland.
The new office will expand Cubist’s presence outside of the US, allowing the company to reinforce their commitment to the major public health threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Patrick Vink, who will head up the Zurich office as general manager of international business, commented that the “expansion enables us to continue to address the growing medical need” of antibiotic resistance.
Zurich’s deputy minister of department of economy and labour, Bruno Sauter, welcomed the announcement as a “great honour” that would create jobs for the city and help grow the innovation economy.
The launch comes after increased international awareness of the requirement for new antibiotic treatments to treat infectious diseases that are developing immunity to existing drugs, with the World Health Organization’s global report set to be a key driver for awareness and change.
Cubist’s CEO Michael Bonney, claimed that the development of immunity to existing drugs is as a result of a number of different reasons: including human hubris, noting that in 1969 the US Surgeon General stated that the war against bacteria was over; as well as due to the ability for bacteria to share mechanisms of resistance.
One of the main reasons is the economics of developing antibiotics, according to Cubist’s CEO, highlighting the poor return on investment offered by new treatments due in part to their short-term use.
However, there are a variety of plans to improve the current research environment for pharmaceutical companies, including the introduction of the Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) classification by the US FDA, and a UK review into how to improve the economic aspects of developing new treatments.
Several pharmaceutical businesses are also collaborating on an antibiotic research programme through Europe’s Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI).