Comparative Surveillance Study of Telavancin Activity Against Recent Gram-Positive Clinical Isolates From Across the United States

Eurofins Medinet, Inc., Herndon, Virginia; Theravance, Inc., South San Francisco, California

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: dan.sahm{at}eurofinsmedinet.com.

	Abstract

Telavancin is an investigational, rapidly bactericidal, lipoglycopeptide antibiotic that is being developed to treat serious infections caused by gram-positive bacteria. A baseline prospective surveillance study was conducted to assess telavancin activity, in comparison with other agents, against contemporary clinical isolates collected in 2004 to 2005 from across the United States. Nearly 4000 isolates were collected including staphylococci, enterococci, and streptococci (pneumococci, -hemolytic, and viridans). Telavancin had potent activity against Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (MIC range, 0.03–1.0 µg/ml), independent of resistance to methicillin or to multiple agents. Telavancin activity was particularly potent against all streptococcal groups (MIC₉₀s, 0.03–0.12 µg/ml). Telavancin had excellent activity against vancomycin-susceptible enterococci (MIC₉₀, 1 µg/ml), and was active against VanB strains of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (MIC₉₀, 2 µg/ml) but less active against VanA strains (MIC₉₀, 8–16 µg/ml). Telavancin also demonstrated activity against vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus strains (MICs, 0.5 µg/ml–1.0 µg/ml and 1.0 µg/ml–4.0 µg/ml, respectively). These data may support the efficacy of telavancin for treatment of serious infections with a wide range of gram-positive organisms.