Multicenter evaluation of the in vitro activity of dalbavancin tested against staphylococci and streptococci in 5 European countries: results from the DECIDE Surveillance Program (2007)

Dalbavancin is an antimicrobial lipoglycopeptide agent that has proven activity against Gram-positive pathogens and a once weekly dosing advantage compared with other agents in the glycopeptide class. The most common pathogens isolated from skin and skin structure infections (SSSIs) include Staphylococcus aureus and β-hemolytic streptococci (βHS), and dalbavancin has demonstrated excellent activity against these species. This study used 18 medical center laboratories in 5 European countries to assess the activity of dalbavancin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin against S. aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), and βHS. The rank order of potency was dalbavancin (MIC50, 0.06 μg/mL) > teicoplanin (MIC50, 0.5 μg/mL) > vancomycin (MIC50, 2 μg/mL) and dalbavancin (MIC50, 0.06 μg/mL) > teicoplanin and vancomycin (MIC50, 2 μg/mL) against S. aureus and CoNS, respectively. Dalbavancin was the most active glycopeptide tested against βHS with all strains inhibited by ≤0.12 μg/mL. Susceptibility to other antimicrobial classes was also evaluated with noticeable differences demonstrated between countries. Higher methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) rates were observed in Italy (44.2%) and the United Kingdom (36.8%) compared with other countries, but resistance to erythromycin (51.6–83.1%) and clindamycin (5.7–68.4%) among MRSA also varied significantly between countries. The excellent contemporary activity of dalbavancin against common Gram-positive pathogens collected in European countries suggests that dalbavancin could have a role in the treatment of various types of SSSIs.