Daptomycin: Pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and dose optimization

Abstract

Daptomycin is a parenteral cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic approved for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive pathogens including multidrug resistant Staphylococci and Enterococci sp. In addition to its unique mechanism of action daptomycin also displays unique pharmacological properties, with a linear pharmacokinetic profile, a good tolerability, a rapid and concentration-dependent bactericidal effect, and a low clinical resistance rate. Daptomycin dosages up to 12 mg/kg/day and antimicrobial combinations have been recently suggested to increase and preserve the effectiveness of daptomycin from the development of resistance. This chapter aims to provide medical and scientific readers with main pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of daptomycin and discuss available and potential strategies developed to optimize its clinical use.