Telavancin Explained

Telavancin (trade name Vibativ) is a bactericidal lipoglycopeptide for use in MRSA or other Gram-positive infections. Telavancin is a semi-synthetic derivative of vancomycin.[1]

The FDA approved the drug in September 2009 for complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI), and in June 2013 for hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus.[2]

History

On 19 October 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an approvable letter for telavancin. Its developer, Theravance, submitted a complete response to the letter, and the FDA has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target date of 21 July 2008.[3]

On 19 November 2008, an FDA antiinfective drug advisory committee concluded that they would recommend telavancin be approved by the FDA.

The FDA approved the drug on 11 September 2009 for complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI).[4]

Theravance has also submitted telavancin to the FDA in a second indication, nosocomial pneumonia, sometimes referred to as hospital-acquired pneumonia, or HAP. On 30 November 2012, an FDA advisory panel endorsed approval of a once-daily formulation of telavancin for nosocomial pneumonia when other alternatives are not suitable. However, telavancin did not win the advisory committee's recommendation as first-line therapy for this indication. The committee indicated that the trial data did not prove "substantial evidence" of telavancin's safety and efficacy in hospital-acquired pneumonia, including ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Gram-positive organisms Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.[5] On 21 June 2013 FDA gave approval for telavancin to treat patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia, but indicated it should be used only when alternative treatments are not suitable. FDA staff had indicated telavancin has a "substantially higher risk for death" for patients with kidney problems or diabetes compared to vancomycin.[6]

On March 11 2013, Clinigen Group plc and Theravance, Inc. announced that they have entered into an exclusive commercialization agreement in the European Union (EU) and certain other countries located in Europe for VIBATIV® (telavancin) for the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia (hospital-acquired), including ventilator-associated pneumonia, known or suspected to be caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) when other alternatives are not suitable.[7]

Mechanism of action

Like vancomycin, telavancin inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to the D-Ala-D-Ala terminus of the peptidoglycan in the growing cell wall (see Pharmacology and chemistry of vancomycin). In addition, it disrupts bacterial membranes by depolarization.[8] [9]

Adverse effects

Common but harmless adverse effects include nausea, vomiting, constipation, and headache.[10]

Telavancin has a higher rate of kidney failure than vancomycin in two clinical trials.[11] It showed teratogenic effects in animal studies.

Interactions

Telavancin inhibits the liver enzymes CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. No data regarding the clinical relevance are available.

Notes and References

  1. Astellas, Inc. VIBATIV prescribing information, 9/2009.
  2. Web site: FDA approves Vibativ for hospitalized patients with bacterial pneumonia . . 2013-08-19 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130831000445/https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm358209.htm . 2013-08-31 .
  3. Web site: Drugs.com, FDA Accepts for Review Response to Approvable Letter for Telavancin . 2008-03-08 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20080309092012/http://www.drugs.com/nda/telavancin_080306.html . 2008-03-09 .
  4. Theravance and Astellas Announce FDA Approval of Vibativ (telavancin) for the Treatment of Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections . Theravance, Inc. and Astellas Pharma US, Inc. . 2009-09-11 . 16 September 2009 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20090922174003/http://www.drugs.com/newdrugs/theravance-astellas-announce-fda-approval-vibativ-telavancin-complicated-skin-skin-structure-1629.html . 22 September 2009.
  5. Web site: Leuty R . FDA advisory group gives mixed review of Theravance pneumonia treatment. . 30 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121204080539/http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/biotech/2012/11/theravance-vibativ-pneumonia.html . 2012-12-04 . American City Business Journals/San Francisco/BiotechSF blog .
  6. Web site: Leuty R . Theravance gets FDA OK for antibiotic against pneumonia, with limits. . https://web.archive.org/web/20130623223752/http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/biotech/2013/06/theravance-mrsa-vibativ-pneumonia.html . 2013-06-23 . San Francisco Business Times . 21 June 2013 .
  7. Web site: Clinigen and Theravance Announce Exclusive Commercialization Agreement in the EU for VIBATIV® (telavancin) . www.vibativ.eu . 2014-12-09 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140913014534/http://www.vibativ.eu/category/news/ . 2014-09-13 .
  8. Higgins DL, Chang R, Debabov DV, Leung J, Wu T, Krause KM, Sandvik E, Hubbard JM, Kaniga K, Schmidt DE, Gao Q, Cass RT, Karr DE, Benton BM, Humphrey PP . 6 . Telavancin, a multifunctional lipoglycopeptide, disrupts both cell wall synthesis and cell membrane integrity in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus . Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy . 49 . 3 . 1127–1134 . March 2005 . 15728913 . 549257 . 10.1128/AAC.49.3.1127-1134.2005 .
  9. Spreitzer H . 2 February 2009 . Neue Wirkstoffe - Telavancin . Österreichische Apothekerzeitung . 3/2009 . de .
  10. Telavancin hydrochloride
  11. Saravolatz LD, Stein GE, Johnson LB . Telavancin: a novel lipoglycopeptide . Clinical Infectious Diseases . 49 . 12 . 1908–1914 . December 2009 . 19911938 . 10.1086/648438 . free .