oritavancin and telavancin

Glycopeptides have an established role in the management of infective endocarditis, and feature in current treatment guidelines. Newer lipoglycopeptide agents (dalbavancin, telavancin and oritavancin), which are analogues of glycopeptides with structural modifications giving rise to added novel mechanisms of antimicrobial activity, are approved for the treatment of Gram-positive skin and skin structure infections, and also for nosocomial pneumonia (only telavancin has approval for the latter indication). Recent evidence has also emerged to support their use in the treatment of bone and joint infections. This article reviews the current literature on dalbavancin and telavancin in the treatment of infective endocarditis, a condition for which the role of these agents is yet to be established.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Female; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Middle Aged

Oritavancin, telavancin, and dalbavancin are recently marketed lipoglycopeptides that exhibit remarkable differences to conventional molecules. While dalbavancin inhibits the late stages of peptidoglycan synthesis by mainly impairing transglycosylase activity, oritavancin and telavancin anchor in the bacterial membrane by the lipophilic side chain linked to their disaccharidic moiety, disrupting membrane integrity and causing bacteriolysis. Oritavancin keeps activity against vancomycin-resistant enterocococci, being a stronger inhibitor of transpeptidase than of transglycosylase activity. These molecules have potent activity against Gram-positive organisms, most notably staphylococci (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and to some extent vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus), streptococci (including multidrug-resistant pneumococci), and Clostridia. All agents are indicated for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, and telavancin, for hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia. While telavancin is administered daily at 10 mg/kg, the remarkably long half-lives of oritavancin and dalbavancin allow for infrequent dosing (single dose of 1200 mg for oritavancin and 1000 mg at day 1 followed by 500 mg at day 8 for dalbavancin), which could be exploited in the future for outpatient therapy. Among possible safety issues evidenced during clinical development were an increased risk of developing osteomyelitis with oritavancin; taste disturbance, nephrotoxicity, and risk of corrected QT interval prolongation (especially in the presence of at-risk co-medications) with telavancin; and elevation of hepatic enzymes with dalbavancin. Interference with coagulation tests has been reported with oritavancin and telavancin. These drugs proved non-inferior to conventional treatments in clinical trials but their advantages may be better evidenced upon future evaluation in more severe infections.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Glycopeptides; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Teicoplanin

The purpose of this comparative review is to provide clinical information on the semisynthetic lipoglycopeptides (telavancin, oritavancin, and dalbavancin) for the management of gram-positive infections.. A PubMed search was conducted using the following terms: telavancin, dalbavancin, and oritavancin. Clinical trials evaluating pharmacokinetic properties, pharmacodynamic properties, clinical efficacy, and safety profiles were included in the review.. The lipoglycopeptides are approximately 4- to 8-fold more potent than vancomycin against gram-positive organisms, including activity against vancomycin-intermediate or vancomycin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species. In addition, oritavancin maintains activity against Enterococcus species harboring vanA operon. Clinical trial data revealed equal efficacy to vancomycin in the management of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections and, in the case of telavancin, hospital-acquired pneumonia. A benefit of oritavancin and dalbavancin is that a full course of therapy consists of a single- or 2-dose regimen, respectively. These agents are well tolerated with similar adverse event rates to vancomycin. Telavancin requires a thorough assessment before initiation of therapy to minimize the risk of acute kidney injury and teratogenicity.. The lipoglycopeptides enhance the antibiotic gram-positive armamentarium at a time when methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevalence and overall resistance is at an all-time high. These agents serve to fill different clinical roles in the management of gram-positive infections. On the basis of the available data, telavancin should be considered a plausible agent for the management of gram-positive organisms when patients do not respond or develop adverse effects to vancomycin. Dalbavancin and oritavancin are new therapeutic options, and their potency and pharmacokinetic properties may provide benefit over existing therapies. Clinical trial data indicate that patients with signs or symptoms of skin and skin structure infections may be successfully treated using 1 or 2 doses of these agents. Eliminating the need for inpatient admission, central catheter placement, and/or daily outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy is a major advance in treatment of skin and skin structure infections. This strategy may reduce costs associated with resource utilization and iatrogenic morbidity, resulting in overall improvements in care.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Glycopeptides; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Lipopeptides; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Teicoplanin; Vancomycin; Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci

There is a choice of anti-MRSA antibiotic available with proven efficacy in the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infection (cSSSI). Additional anti-MRSA antibiotics are in development, which have the potential to influence how such infections are managed. The emergence of resistance to current anti-MRSA agents, toxicity, and general lack of oral agents with proven efficacy for deep seated infection justify the development of new agents. However, there is a relative dearth of information specific to patients with orthopaedic-related infection. Combination therapy is often used in these patients, although there is a paucity of controlled trial data to support particular antibiotic combinations. As the choice of anti-MRSA agents increases, so does the need to identify which are best for the large variety of infections included in the group of cSSSIs. This is particular true for infections occurring in orthopaedic patients where poorly vascularised tissue, trauma or implanted prosthetic material, pose specific challenges.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Ceftaroline; Cephalosporins; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Drug Therapy, Combination; Glycopeptides; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Skin Diseases, Bacterial; Soft Tissue Infections; Staphylococcal Infections; Teicoplanin

Resistance to antibiotics among gram-positive bacteria, especially enterococci and staphylococci, has led to the need to develop new antibiotics. Vancomycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic, has been used for over 3 decades to treat serious methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. The increased frequency of multidrug-resistant bacteria, especially vancomycin-resistant strains, has focused interest on three new lipoglycopeptides for the treatment of infections caused by gram-positive bacteria: oritavancin, dalbavancin, and telavancin. Although oritavancin and dalbavancin are still in development, telavancin received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration in September 2009 for treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections. Structurally different from vancomycin and teicoplanin, all three lipoglycopeptides have greater potency and less potential for development of resistant organisms. Of particular importance is the activity of oritavancin, dalbavancin, and telavancin against vancomycin-resistant organisms. In addition, the pharmacokinetic properties of these new antimicrobials substantially differ from those of vancomycin. Both oritavancin and dalbavancin have long terminal half-lives, which may allow for infrequent dosing. In addition, oritavancin is primarily cleared through hepatic pathways, which makes it potentially useful in patients with renal compromise. In animal models, these new lipoglycopeptides were effective in treating serious gram-positive infections, including complicated skin and skin structure infections, endocarditis, bacteremia, and pneumonia; in clinical studies, however, efficacy was shown only in complicated skin and skin structure infections for all three agents. According to preliminary data, the adverse-effect profile of these lipoglycopeptides is generally similar to that of drugs currently used to treat severe gram-positive infections. However, further evaluation and monitoring is necessary as more patients are exposed to these agents. As antimicrobial resistance continues to increase worldwide, the lipoglycopeptides may provide clinicians with a useful antimicrobial in the continued fight against multidrug-resistant gram-positive bacteria.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Multiple; Drug Synergism; Glycopeptides; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Half-Life; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Teicoplanin; Vancomycin Resistance

Dalbavancin, oritavancin and telavancin are semisynthetic lipoglycopeptides that demonstrate promise for the treatment of patients with infections caused by multi-drug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. Each of these agents contains a heptapeptide core, common to all glycopeptides, which enables them to inhibit transglycosylation and transpeptidation (cell wall synthesis). Modifications to the heptapeptide core result in different in vitro activities for the three semisynthetic lipoglycopeptides. All three lipoglycopeptides contain lipophilic side chains, which prolong their half-life, help to anchor the agents to the cell membrane and increase their activity against Gram-positive cocci. In addition to inhibiting cell wall synthesis, telavancin and oritavancin are also able to disrupt bacterial membrane integrity and increase membrane permeability; oritavancin also inhibits RNA synthesis. Enterococci exhibiting the VanA phenotype (resistance to both vancomycin and teicoplanin) are resistant to both dalbavancin and telavancin, while oritavancin retains activity. Dalbavancin, oritavancin and telavancin exhibit activity against VanB vancomycin-resistant enterococci. All three lipoglycopeptides demonstrate potent in vitro activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis regardless of their susceptibility to meticillin, as well as Streptococcus spp. Both dalbavancin and telavancin are active against vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA), but display poor activity versus vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA). Oritavancin is active against both VISA and VRSA. Telavancin displays greater activity against Clostridium spp. than dalbavancin, oritavancin or vancomycin. The half-life of dalbavancin ranges from 147 to 258 hours, which allows for once-weekly dosing, the half-life of oritavancin of 393 hours may allow for one dose per treatment course, while telavancin requires daily administration. Dalbavancin and telavancin exhibit concentration-dependent activity and AUC/MIC (area under the concentration-time curve to minimum inhibitory concentration ratio) is the pharmacodynamic parameter that best describes their activities. Oritavancin's activity is also considered concentration-dependent in vitro, while in vivo its activity has been described by both concentration and time-dependent models; however, AUC/MIC is the pharmacodynamic parameter that best describes its activity. Clinical trials involving patients with complicated skin and skin st

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Interactions; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Glycopeptides; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Structure; Teicoplanin; Treatment Outcome

Current antibiotics available for the treatment of healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) may result in clinical failure due to resistance development, side effect intolerance, or poor pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic profiles. New agents active against common HCAP pathogens are needed. The mechanism of action, spectrum of activity, pharmacokinetics, adverse effects, and clinical efficacy of seven new agents in clinical development or recently approved with either methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or pseudomonal activity are reviewed. They include doripenem, a new antipseudomonal carbapenem; ceftobiprole and ceftaroline, two anti-MRSA cephalosporins; iclaprim, a selective dihydrofolate reductase antagonist; and three glycopeptides, dalbavancin, telavancin, and oritavancin.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Carbapenems; Ceftaroline; Cephalosporins; Cross Infection; Doripenem; Glycopeptides; Lipoglycopeptides; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Pneumonia, Bacterial; Pseudomonas Infections; Pyrimidines; Staphylococcal Infections; Teicoplanin

In bacterial and fungal infections, optimal outcomes are obtained through the timely provision of adequate antimicrobial coverage in an initial anti-infective treatment regimen. However, selecting appropriate antimicrobial regimens to treat infections in the intensive care unit is challenging because of the expansion of antibiotic resistance. Multidrug anti-infective regimens are typically needed to adequately cover common important pathogens in ICUs. Here, we describe novel antibacterial agents in the late stages of clinical development that show potential for treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. These include the fifth-generation cephalosporins, ceftaroline and ceftobiprole; the glycopeptides, dalbavancin, oritavancin, and telavancin; and iclaprim.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Ceftaroline; Cephalosporins; Glycopeptides; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Pyrimidines; Staphylococcal Infections; Teicoplanin

Hemi-synthetic derivatives of glycopeptides have demonstrated bactericidal activity towards Gram-positive bacteria, including vancomycin-resistant strains (oritavancin and telavancin), and a prolonged half-life, allowing for once-daily (oritavancin and telavancin) or once-weekly (dalbavancin) administration. These compounds have proved effective for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria, including complicated skin and skin structure infections (oritavancin, telavancin and dalbavancin), bacteremia (oritavancin and dalbavancin) and nosocomial pneumonia. This review compares the antibacterial activity and clinical activity of three glycopeptides, oritavancin, telavancin and dalbavancin, and the natural lipoglycopeptide, ramoplanin, which, being unstable in the bloodstream, is administered orally to treat Clostridium difficile colitis and for digestive tract decontamination. All of these compounds, with the exception of oritavancin, have received Fast Track designation from the FDA because of their clinical efficacy.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Depsipeptides; Glycopeptides; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Teicoplanin

Infection by Staphylococcus aureus in critically ill patients is usually associated with antimicrobial resistance and high mortality. A more effective antibiotic treatment is needed to replace older drugs that have limited efficacy. Novel substances active on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which are already available on the market or are still in development, are discussed in this review, with emphasis on nosocomial infections.. A number of new antibiotics are on the market (linezolid, quinupristin-dalfopristin, daptomycin) and there is good evidence regarding their efficacy, especially in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. Linezolid is, to date, the best alternative in treating nosocomial pneumonia by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is cost-effective; resistance levels are still very low but there are some concerns regarding its adverse events. Quinupristin-dalfopristin shows good activity in vitro but its efficacy in patients with pneumonia by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is modest. Daptomycin is not recommended for pulmonary infections because of its reduced penetration in the lung tissue. Under current phase III trials in patients with nosocomial infections are tigecycline, ceftobiprole, and three new glycopeptides, all with particular activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.. For the moment, there are limited and rather expensive therapeutic options for the infections by Staphylococcus aureus in the critically ill. No dramatic superiority of the new drugs in comparison to the standard therapies was observed in most of the clinical trials. Better results on the efficacy of the drugs under investigation are expected.

Topics: Acetamides; Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cephalosporins; Clinical Trials as Topic; Critical Illness; Daptomycin; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Glycopeptides; Humans; Linezolid; Lipoglycopeptides; Methicillin Resistance; Minocycline; Oxazolidinones; Staphylococcal Infections; Teicoplanin; Tigecycline; Virginiamycin

Vancomycin and teicoplanin are the two glycopeptides currently used in the clinics for the treatment of multiresistant infections by Gram-positive organisms. The development of resistance in enterococci and staphylococci has stimulated the search for new derivatives with improved activity, particularly against strains resistant to conventional derivatives. Three of these, obtained by hemi-synthesis starting from natural compounds, are now in clinical development (oritavancin and telavancin, as derivatives of vancomycin; and dalbavancin, as a derivative of teicoplanin). The presence of a lipophilic tail on these molecules results in them having a prolonged half-life. It also modifies their mode of action, conferring to them a concentration-dependent bactericidal activity. Their spectrum of activity includes methicillin-susceptible or methicillin-resistant staphylococci, penicillin-resistant pneumococci and enterococci (including vancomycin-resistant strains for oritavancin and telavancin). Ongoing clinical studies are evaluating the efficacy and safety of these molecules for the treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections and bactereamia, in a once-daily (oritavancin, telavancin) or once-weekly (dalbavancin) scheme of administration. Despite these remarkable properties, the use of these potent molecules should be restricted to severe infections by multiresistant organisms to limit the risk of selection of resistance.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Glycopeptides; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Structure-Activity Relationship; Teicoplanin; Vancomycin

The determination of antibiotic potency against bacterial strains by assessment of their minimum inhibitory concentration normally uses a standardized broth microdilution assay procedure developed more than 50 years ago. However, certain antibiotics require modified assay conditions in order to observe optimal activity. For example, daptomycin requires medium supplemented with Ca

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Calcium; Ciprofloxacin; Colistin; Culture Media; Depsipeptides; Escherichia coli; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Lipoglycopeptides; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Oxacillin; Penicillin G; Plastics; Polymyxin B; Polysorbates; Rifampin; Teicoplanin; Trimethoprim; Vancomycin

The propensity of oritavancin to select for stably elevated oritavancin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) was studied by serial passaging of strains in broth containing oritavancin for 20days. Seven clinical strains of Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium were studied; they included vancomycin-susceptible and both VanA and VanB vancomycin-resistant isolates. Stepwise oritavancin selection yielded stably elevated oritavancin MICs in six of the seven strains, with MIC increases ranging from 4-32-fold. By comparison, stepwise selection with comparator agents dalbavancin (4- to >128-fold MIC increases), telavancin (4-8-fold MIC increases) and daptomycin (4-32-fold MIC increases) also yielded selectants with elevated MICs of the respective agents. Oritavancin selectants retained parental MICs of vancomycin, daptomycin, linezolid and rifampicin. Some, but not all of the oritavancin selectants also showed MIC increases to the lipoglycopeptides telavancin, dalbavancin and teicoplanin, suggesting that within the lipoglycopeptide class, different mechanisms of action may be elucidated.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Proteins; Carbon-Oxygen Ligases; Daptomycin; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Enterococcus faecalis; Enterococcus faecium; Glycopeptides; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Teicoplanin; Vancomycin; Vancomycin Resistance

We used in vitro and in vivo models of catheter-associated biofilm formation to compare the relative activity of antibiotics effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the specific context of an established biofilm. The results demonstrated that, under in vitro conditions, daptomycin and ceftaroline exhibited comparable activity relative to each other and greater activity than vancomycin, telavancin, oritavancin, dalbavancin, or tigecycline. This was true when assessed using established biofilms formed by the USA300 methicillin-resistant strain LAC and the USA200 methicillin-sensitive strain UAMS-1. Oxacillin exhibited greater activity against UAMS-1 than LAC, as would be expected, since LAC is an MRSA strain. However, the activity of oxacillin was less than that of daptomycin and ceftaroline even against UAMS-1. Among the lipoglycopeptides, telavancin exhibited the greatest overall activity. Specifically, telavancin exhibited greater activity than oritavancin or dalbavancin when tested against biofilms formed by LAC and was the only lipoglycopeptide capable of reducing the number of viable bacteria below the limit of detection. With biofilms formed by UAMS-1, telavancin and dalbavancin exhibited comparable activity relative to each other and greater activity than oritavancin. Importantly, ceftaroline was the only antibiotic that exhibited greater activity than vancomycin when tested in vivo in a murine model of catheter-associated biofilm formation. These results emphasize the need to consider antibiotics other than vancomycin, most notably, ceftaroline, for the treatment of biofilm-associated S. aureus infections, including by the matrix-based antibiotic delivery methods often employed for local antibiotic delivery in the treatment of these infections.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biofilms; Catheter-Related Infections; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Glycopeptides; Lipoglycopeptides; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Mice; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Teicoplanin

Proper understanding of the mechanisms of binding to Gram-positive bacteria cell wall layers-especially to the peptidoglycan (PG) layer, seems to be crucial for proper development of new drug candidates which are effective against these bacteria. In this work we have constructed two different models of the Gram-positive bacteria PG layer: the layered and the scaffold models. PG conformational changes during geometry optimization, models relaxation, and molecular dynamics were described and discussed. We have found that the border surface of both PG layer models differs from the surface located away from the edge of models and the chains formed by disaccharide units prefer helix-like conformation. This curling of PG chains significantly affects the shape of antibiotic-accessible surface and the process is thus crucial for new drug development. Glycopeptide antibiotics effective against Gram-positive bacteria, such as vancomycin and its semisynthetic derivatives-oritavancin and telavancin, bind to d-alanyl-d-alanine stem termini on the peptidoglycan precursors of the cell wall. This binding inhibits cross-linking between the peptides and subsequently prevents cell wall synthesis. In this study some of the aspects of conformational freedom of vancomycin and restrictions from the modifications of vancomycin structure introduced into oritavancin and telavancin and five other vancomycin derivatives (with addition of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-galactopyranosylamine, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosylamine, 1-amine-1-deoxy-d-glucitol, 2-amino-2-deoxy-d-galactitol, or 2-amino-2-deoxy-d-glucitol to the C-terminal amino acid group in the vancomycin) are presented and discussed. The resulting molecular dynamics trajectories, root mean square deviation changes of aglycon and saccharide moieties as well as a comparative study of possible interactions with cyclic and chain forms of modified groups have been carried out, measured, and analyzed. Energetically advantageous conformations show close similarity to the structures known from the experimental data, but the diversity of others suggest very high conformational freedom of all modeled antibiotics and vancomycin derivatives. Alditol derivatives move closer to the peptidoglycan chain more easily but they also form intramolecular interactions more frequently than their homologous cyclic forms. One of the proposed derivatives seems to be a promising agent which is efficient in treatment of infections caused by Gram-pos

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacillus subtilis; Carbohydrate Conformation; Glycopeptides; Lipoglycopeptides; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Peptidoglycan; Staphylococcus aureus; Vancomycin

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Anti-Infective Agents; Drug Approval; Drug Evaluation; Glycopeptides; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Pyrimidines; Therapeutic Equivalency; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration

Antibiotics currently under study by the Food and Drugs Administration include: faropenem (for treatment of sinusitis, bronchitis, and community-acquired pneumonia), dalbavancin (for catheter infections), telavancin (for treatment of nosocomial pneumonia), oritavancin (for bacteremia), ceftobiprole and iclaprim (for pneumonias). Moreover, all of them would be useful for skin and soft tissue infections.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; beta-Lactams; Cephalosporins; Drug Approval; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Glycopeptides; Humans; Lipoglycopeptides; Pyrimidines; Skin Diseases, Bacterial; Skin Diseases, Viral; Teicoplanin; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration

The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is characterized by variations (sometimes extreme) by country and geographic region. The conventional association of MRSA with healthcare settings has been upset by the emergence of community-associated MRSA infections in many areas. With this surge in MRSA comes a renewed interest in alternative agents to vancomycin for treatment of MRSA infections, including older drugs, such as clindamycin, doxycycline and trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole. Newer agents, such as linezolid and daptomycin, are aiming to improve on the poor cure rates found with vancomycin in serious MRSA infections, but definitive studies showing superiority of these drugs are not yet available. Finally, the drug-development pipeline contains a number of agents for the treatment of MRSA infections, including enhanced glycopeptides (dalbavancin, oritavancin and telavancin) and anti-MRSA cephalosporins (ceftobiprole). As MRSA becomes the 'new normal' in many areas, clinicians will have to sort out the proper role of a dozen or more anti-MRSA drugs.

Topics: Acetamides; Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cephalosporins; Clindamycin; Daptomycin; Doxycycline; Folic Acid Antagonists; Global Health; Glycopeptides; Humans; Linezolid; Lipoglycopeptides; Methicillin; Methicillin Resistance; Minocycline; Oxazolidinones; Prevalence; Staphylococcal Infections; Staphylococcus aureus; Sulfamethoxazole; Teicoplanin; Tigecycline; Trimethoprim; Vancomycin