Oritavancin has a chemical structure similar to that of Vancomycin.
Oritavancin is a lipoglycopeptide and is effective against gram-positive bacteria including Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).
It is available in the market with the name of Orbactiv®.
Vancomycin is also a lipoglycopeptide antibiotic and is effective against gram-positive organisms including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus. It also commonly used to treat Clostridium difficile diarrhea. It is a first line agent against complicated skin infections.
Oritavancin versus Vancomycin
In a clinical trial published in New England Journal of Medicine on June, 5th 2014 which compared a single dose of Oritavancin with twice daily dose of vancomycin for 7-10 days.
Two groups were made, one group was given a single intravenous dose of Oritavancin (1200mg), followed by a Placebo for 7-10 days.
The second group was given Vancomycin (15mg/kg or 1g) twice daily for 7-10 days.
The clinical outcomes were compared, and it was found that the efficacy of Oritavancin was similar to that of vancomycin. Keep in mind only one dose (1200mg) of Oritavancin was used in the trial, and on the other hand, 1 gram of Vancomycin was used twice daily for 7-10 days to achieve the similar clinical response.
It was found that 82.3% of patients with Oritavancin met the endpoint of clinical cure and 78.9% patients with Vancomycin met the endpoint of clinical cure.
The results are very encouraging, Oritavancin is found to be an effective drug against uncomplicated gram-positive skin infections and it is cost effective, only a single dose is required and has a less severe side effect profile as compared to Vancomycin.
Reference:
Title: Single-Dose Oritavancin in the Treatment of Acute Bacterial Skin Infections, G. Ralph Corey et. all, June, 5th 2014, Link: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1310422#t=article
Written By:
Resident Internal Medicine, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, PIMS, Islamabad Pakistan
Special Thanks
Dr. Abul Mannan
Registrar, Department of Internal Medicine, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. PIMS, SZABMU, Islamabad Pakistan
