​Cempra Inc., a pharmaceutical company, expects Food and Drug Administration approval of a drug used to treat pneumonia by the end of the year, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday.

Solithromycin is designed for the treatment of moderate to moderately-severe community acquired bacterial pneumonia and urethritis.

The drug has already completed two pivotal phase 3 trials. The first study was conducted with orally-administered solithromycin, and the second study tested intravenous solithromycin progressing to oral solithromycin.

Cempra announced that it has scheduled a meeting of the Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee on Nov. 4 to discuss the safety and efficacy of solithromycin. The company said the FDA will review the drug on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28. It plans to launch the product with a sales force of more than 200 people.

“We look forward to the Nov. 4 discussion with the advisory committee, and continued dialogue with the FDA, as we progress towards the solithromycin PDUFA dates at the end of the year,” said Prabhavathi Fernandes, president and chief executive officer of Cempra in a recent press release.

Founded in 2006, Chapel Hill-based Cempra is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company that focuses on developing antibacterial drugs in the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases.

Stock prices of Cempra closed at $22.81 on Thursday, up 5 cents.

Note: This story is from the North Carolina Business News Wire, a service of UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism