MRSA Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about MRSA, including details on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

Efficacy and safety of weekly dalbavancin therapy for catheter-related bloodstream infection caused by gram-positive pathogens.

Raad I, Darouiche R, Vazquez J, Lentnek A, Hachem R, Hanna H, Goldstein B, Henkel T, Seltzer E

The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.

BACKGROUND: Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs) are associated with substantial mortality, prolongation of hospital stay, and increased cost of care. Dalbavancin, a new glycopeptide antibiotic with unique pharmacokinetic properties that have allowed clinical development of a weekly dosing regimen, possesses excellent activity against clinically important gram-positive bacteria, suggesting utility in the treatment of patients with CR-BSIs. METHODS: A phase 2, open-label, randomized, controlled, multicenter study of 75 adult patients with CR-BSIs compared treatment with intravenous dalbavancin, administered as a single 1000-mg dose followed by a 500-mg dose 1 week later, with intravenous vancomycin, administered twice daily for 14 days. Gram-positive bacteria isolated in this study included coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) and Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). RESULTS: Infected patients who received weekly dalbavancin (n=33) had an overall success rate (87.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 73.2%-100.0%) that was significantly higher than that of those who received vancomycin (n=34) (50.0%; 95% CI, 31.5%-68.5%). Adverse events and laboratory abnormalities were generally mild and were comparable for the 2 drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Dalbavancin thus appears to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for adult patients with CR-BSIs caused by CoNS and S. aureus, including MRSA.

Published 25 January 2005 in Clin Infect Dis, 40(3): 374-80.
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