TARG Targanta Therapeutics Corp (MM)

Targanta Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ: TARG) today announced the presentation of studies detailing oritavancin�s superior in vitro potency at the combined annual meetings of the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) and the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), taking place in Washington, DC. These presentations highlight oritavancin�s potent activity against a variety of gram-positive bacteria, including those strains either non-susceptible or resistant to currently available agents. The preclinical research underscores oritavancin�s potential to address the limitations of currently marketed therapies for serious gram-positive infections. Throughout the meeting, multiple posters and slide presentations will describe oritavancin�s key attributes including: Superior In Vitro Potency Several presentations of data will showcase oritavancin�s superior in vitro potency across a broad range of susceptible, non-susceptible, and resistant pathogens relative to currently available antibiotic treatments including vancomycin, linezolid, daptomycin and teicoplanin. Consistent Activity Against Contemporary Strains, Globally Contemporary surveillance studies show that oritavancin retains potency against a myriad of recent isolates of gram-positive pathogens surveyed worldwide. Oritavancin is highly active against recently isolated�staphylococcal, enterococcal and streptococcal strains. The schedule of presentations is as follows: DATE � TIME � Type � AUTHOR � TITLE Saturday, October 25 � 12:15 p.m. � 1:15 p.m. � Poster � Badal � Oritavancin: Comparative in-vitro Activity Against Hospital-Acquired Enterococci from a Multi-center Surveillance � The ORION Study (C1-145) � � 12:15 p.m. � 1:15 p.m. � Poster � Draghi � In vitro Activity of Oritavancin Against Gram-positive Organisms in Europe: A Comparative Study of Clinical Trial and Surveillance Results (C1-144) � � 12:15 p.m. � 1:15 p.m. � Poster � Fritsche � Activity of Oritavancin Tested Against Contemporary Gram-positive Pathogens Submitted to a Global Surveillance Program (2008) � � 12:15 p.m. � 1:15 p.m. � Poster � Pankuch � Activity of Oritavancin Against 200 Vancomycin Susceptible and Non-Susceptible MRSA by MIC Testing (C1-186) � � 12:15 p.m. � 1:15 p.m. � Poster � Saravolatz � In vitro Activity of Oritavancin Against CA-MRSA, VISA and Daptomycin-Non-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (DNSSA) (C1-187) � � 12:15 p.m. � 1:15 p.m. � Poster � Vashisht � Activity of Oritavancin Against S. aureus, S. epidermidis, Enterococcus spp. and S. pneumoniae, Isolated from Canadian Hospitals: Results of CANWARD 2007 (C1-146) � � 12:15 p.m. � 1:15 p.m. � Poster � Vaudaux � Comparative Activity of Oritavancin Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Bloodstream Isolates from Geneva University Hospital (C1-143) Tuesday, October 28 � 10:45 a.m.� 11:00 a.m. � Slides � Belley � Oritavancin (ORI) Combinations with Linezolid (LIN) and Nafcillin (NAF) are Synergistic against Vancomycin (VAN)-Nonsusceptible Staphylococcus aureus (SA) (C1-3720) � � 11:15 a.m. � 12:15 p.m. � Slides � McKay � Impact of Human Serum Albumin (HSA) on Oritavancin (ORI) In vitro Activity against Enterococci (C1-3835) About Oritavancin Oritavancin is a novel semi-synthetic lipoglycopeptide antibiotic candidate with potent bactericidal (killing) activity against a broad spectrum of gram-positive bacteria. In its intravenous (IV) formulation, the product candidate has been tested in over 2,400 individuals and has completed two Phase 3 studies for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) in which the primary endpoints were met. Targanta submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2008 seeking to commercialize oritavancin for the treatment of cSSSI; the FDA accepted the NDA submission for standard review, establishing an action date of December 8, 2008. Targanta�s Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for oritavancin was accepted for review by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) in June 2008. Targanta is also developing an oral version of oritavancin for the possible treatment of Clostridium difficile. About Targanta Therapeutics Targanta Therapeutics Corporation (Nasdaq: TARG) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative antibiotics to treat serious infections in the hospital and other institutional settings. The Company�s pipeline includes an intravenous version of oritavancin, a semi-synthetic lipoglycopeptide antibiotic currently awaiting U.S. and EU regulatory approval, and, a program to develop an oral version of oritavancin for the treatment of Clostridium difficile. The Company has operations in Cambridge, MA, Indianapolis, IN, and Montreal, Qu�bec, Canada. For more information on Targanta, visit www.targanta.com. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains �forward-looking statements� that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These are statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions or that include words such as �may,� "will," "expects," "projects," "anticipates," "estimates," "believes," "intends," "plans," "should," "seeks," �hope� and similar expressions. Such statements include oritavancin�s potential to address the limitations of currently marketed therapies for serious gram-positive infections. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be significantly impacted by certain risks and uncertainties described in Targanta�s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The risks and uncertainties referred to above include, but are not limited to, risks related to Targanta�s dependence on the success of oritavancin; delays in obtaining or a failure to obtain regulatory approval for Targanta�s product candidates; failure of any approved product to achieve significant commercial acceptance in the medical community or receive reimbursement by third-party payors; unfavorable clinical trial results; failure to maintain and protect Targanta�s intellectual property assets and to avoid infringing the intellectual property rights of others; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; Targanta�s potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates; the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results; and those other risks factors that are described more fully in the Company�s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Targanta does not undertake any obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.