Efficacy and safety of weekly dalbavancin therapy for catheter-related bloodstream infection caused by gram-positive pathogens. 
Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs) are associated with substantial mortality, prolongation of hospital stay, and increased cost of care.  Dalbavancin, a new glycopeptide antibiotic with unique pharmacokinetic properties that have allowed clinical development of a weekly dosing regimen, possesses excellent activity against clinically important gram-positive bacteria, suggesting utility in the treatment of patients with CR-BSIs.  A phase 2, open-label, randomized, controlled, multicenter study of 75 adult patients with CR-BSIs compared treatment with intravenous dalbavancin, administered as a single 1000-mg dose followed by a 500-mg dose 1 week later, with intravenous vancomycin, administered twice daily for 14 days.  Gram-positive bacteria isolated in this study included coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) and Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).  Infected patients who received weekly dalbavancin (n=33) had an overall success rate (87.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 73.2%-100.0%) that was significantly higher than that of those who received vancomycin (n=34) (50.0%; 95% CI, 31.5%-68.5%).  Adverse events and laboratory abnormalities were generally mild and were comparable for the 2 drugs.  Dalbavancin thus appears to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for adult patients with CR-BSIs caused by CoNS and S. aureus, including MRSA.