Daptomycin

By Dr. Ahmad Najmi, Index Medical College, Indore
Daptomycin is a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic derived from Streptomyces roseosporus It is bactericidal effective against vancomycin-resistant gram-positive bacteria. Also active against aerobic, facultative, and anaerobic gram-positive bacteria
Daptomycin binds to bacterial membranes resulting in depolarization, loss of membrane potential, and cell death
Daptomycin is poorly absorbed orally and should only be administered intravenously
Daptomycin is indicated for treatment of complicated skin and skin-structure infections caused by methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus, hemolytic streptococci, and vancomycin-susceptible E. faecalis
Skeletal muscle damage occurs in dogs given daptomycin at doses above 10 mg/kg. Peripheral neuropathic effects with axonal degeneration occurred at higher doses
Reference: Goodman & Gillmans Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 11th edition