Daptomycin approved in Japan for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Mao Hagihara1, Takumi Umemura1, Takeshi Mori1,2, Hiroshige Mikamo11Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan; 2Division of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Aichi, JapanAbstract: Daptomycin is a lipoglycopeptide antibacterial drug that is rapidly bactericidal for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection and has antibiotic activity against a wide range of Gram-positive organisms. It has been approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan for the treatment for bacteremia, right-sided endocarditis, and skin and skin-structure infections, such as necrotizing fasciitis, due to MRSA on the basis of a Phase III trial conducted in Japan since July, 2011. In Japanese Phase I and III trials, daptomycin therapy given at 4 mg/kg and 6 mg/kg once per day was well tolerated and effective as standard therapy for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections and bacteremia caused by MRSA, but side effects remain to be evaluated in large-scale trials.Keywords: daptomycin, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Japan