Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil (SIX: BSLN), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to meeting the needs of patients with severe bacterial and fungal infections, announced that its partner Asahi Kasei Therapeutics Corp. started a phase 2 clinical study in Japan with the antifungal Cresemba^® (isavuconazole) for pediatric patients at risk of deep mycoses.

Dr. Marc Engelhardt, Chief Medical Officer of Basilea, said: “We are very pleased with the start of the pediatric study for Cresemba by our partner Asahi Kasei Therapeutics Corp. Invasive fungal infections pose a critical threat for children suffering from hematologic malignancies or immunodeficiency disorders. Despite this high-risk setting, treatment options remain limited. Making Cresemba available to pediatric patients in Japan would represent a major advance in addressing this important medical need.”

The multicenter, open-label, non-controlled study is assessing the safety and pharmacokinetics of Cresemba in children at risk from deep mycoses.

Cresemba is already approved for the treatment of children in the US, Canada, Europe and China. In Japan, Cresemba is approved for the treatment of adults with severe fungal infections, but currently not for use in pediatric patients.