Telavancin in the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia: review of the clinical evidence

Nosocomial pneumonia (NP) is a frequent and severe infection arising mainly in intensive care units. Despite recent advances in supportive care and a wide range of prevention measures, it remains a significant cause of patient morbidity and mortality. A risk factor for increased mortality is the inappropriate antimicrobial therapy, often caused by antimicrobial resistance. The increased frequency of multidrug-resistant bacteria, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant strains, has led to an urgent need for new antibiotics. Telavancin is a novel antibiotic-semisynthetic lipoglycopeptide, which deploys a dual mechanism of action that involves the inhibition of cell-wall synthesis and disruption of bacterial cell-membrane barrier functions and is rapidly bactericidal against methicillin-resistant S. aureus and Gram-positive bacteria resistant to vancomycin. It has been approved for the treatment of severe NP. This article reviews telavancin’s pharmacological characteristics resulting from clinical trials, giving a detailed picture of recent available data in NP management.