New Pharmacoeconomic Analysis Shows Lower Rate Of Reintubation Observed With SURFAXIN® Treatment May Reduce Hospital Costs Associated With Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

WARRINGTON, Pa., Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: DSCO) today announced the release of data from a new pharmacoeconomic analysis demonstrating that the previously-reported reduced rate of reintubation in preterm infants treated with SURFAXIN ^® may also result in an average potential hospital cost savings of $389,247 per 100 treated infants by reducing the frequency of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) when compared with reintubation rates of infants treated with the current global market leading surfactants, Curosurf ^® and Survanta ^®.  The analysis was presented at the 2012 Hot Topics in Neonatology Annual Meeting held December 2-4 in Washington D.C.  Hot Topics in Neonatology is an internationally recognized medical meeting dedicated to advancing the practice of neonatology.

"It has been previously reported that infants who require reintubation are three times more likely to develop BPD compared with those infants who are not reintubated," said Dr. Russell G. Clayton, Senior Vice President, Research & Development, of Discovery Labs.  "This new pharmacoeconomic analysis suggests that the selection of a specific surfactant could significantly impact hospital costs by potentially reducing the risk of developing BPD associated with reintubation.  These data may be important to physicians and pharmacists as they consider SURFAXIN for inclusion on hospital formularies."

The current standard of care for managing preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) typically requires that the infant undergo intubation (insertion of a breathing tube into the infant's airway) to allow for surfactant administration and respiratory support via mechanical ventilation.  If therapy is successful, the breathing tube is removed to allow the infant to breathe independently.  However, over one third of infants have difficulty breathing independently after the breathing tube is removed and require a subsequent intubation, or reintubation.  Reintubation and extended exposure to mechanical ventilation is often associated with an increased incidence of other complications such as BPD – a chronic lung condition that affects some preterm infants who were at risk for or afflicted with RDS or required respiratory support via mechanical ventilation during the neonatal period.

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