Telavancin
Also sold as: Vibativ
Related Medications
These drugs share a pharmacologic classification but are NOT interchangeable. Listing here does not imply clinical equivalence. A physician must evaluate each drug individually for the patient's specific condition.
Classification: Lipoglycopeptides (source: RxClass/NLM)
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Drug Information
Mechanism of Action
12.1 Mechanism of Action Telavancin is an antibacterial drug [ see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.4 ) ].
Indications & Uses
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE VIBATIV is a lipoglycopeptide antibacterial drug indicated for the treatment of the following infections in adult patients caused by designated susceptible bacteria: Complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) ( 1.1 ) Hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP) caused by susceptible isolates of Staphylococcus aureus . VIBATIV should be reserved for use when alternative treatments are not suitable. ( 1.2 ) To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of VIBATIV and other antibacterial drugs VIBATIV should only be used to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria. 1.1 Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections VIBATIV is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) caused by susceptible isolates of the following Gram-positive microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-susceptible and -resistant isolates), Streptococcus pyogenes , Streptococcus agalactiae , Streptococcus anginosus group (includes S. anginosus, S. intermedius, and S. constellatus) , or Enterococcus faecalis (vancomycinsusceptible isolates only). 1.2 HABP/VABP VIBATIV is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP), caused by susceptible isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (both methicillin-susceptible and -resistant isolates). VIBATIV should be reserved for use when alternative treatments are not suitable. 1.3 Usage Combination therapy may be clinically indicated if the documented or presumed pathogens include Gram-negative organisms. Appropriate specimens for bacteriological examination should be obtained in order to isolate and identify the causative pathogens and to determine their susceptibility to telavancin. VIBATIV may be initiated as empiric therapy before results of these tests are
Dosage & Administration
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI): 10 mg/kg by IV infusion over 60 minutes every 24 hours for 7 to 14 days ( 2.1 ) Dosage adjustment in patients with renal impairment. ( 2.3 ) Hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP): 10 mg/kg by IV infusion over 60 minutes every 24 hours for 7 to 21 days ( 2.2 ) Dosage adjustment in patients with renal impairment. ( 2.3 ) a Calculate using the Cockcroft-Gault formula and ideal body weight (IBW). Use actual body weight if < IBW. ( 12.3 ) Creatinine Clearance a (CrCl) (mL/min) VIBATIV Dosage Regimen >50 10 mg/kg every 24 hours 30-50 7.5 mg/kg every 24 hours 10-<30 10 mg/kg every 48 hours Insufficient data are available to make a dosing recommendation for patients with CrCl <10 mL/min, including patients on hemodialysis. 2.1 Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections The recommended dosing for VIBATIV is 10 mg/kg administered over a 60-minute period in patients ≥18 years of age by intravenous infusion once every 24 hours for 7 to 14 days. The duration of therapy should be guided by the severity and site of the infection and the patient's clinical progress. 2.2 Hospital-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia/Ventilator-Associated Bacterial Pneumonia (HABP/VABP) The recommended dosing for VIBATIV is 10 mg/kg administered over a 60-minute period in patients ≥18 years of age by intravenous infusion once every 24 hours for 7 to 21 days. The duration of therapy should be guided by the severity of the infection and the patient's clinical progress. 2.3 Patients with Renal Impairment Because telavancin is eliminated primarily by the kidney, a dosage adjustment is required for patients whose creatinine clearance is ≤50 mL/min, as listed in Table 1 [ see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ) ]. Table 1: Dosage Adjustment in Adult Patients with Renal Impairment a Calculate using the Cockcroft-Gault formula and ideal body weight (IBW). Use actual body weight if it is less than IBW. ( 12.3 ) Creatinine Clearance a (CrCl) (mL/min) VIBATIV Dosage Regimen >50 10 mg/kg every 24 hours 30-50 7.5 mg/kg every 24 hours 10-<30 10 mg/kg every 48 hours There is insufficient information to make specific dosage adjustment recommendations for patients with end-stage renal disease (CrCl <10 mL/min), including patients undergoing hemodialysis. 2.4 Preparation and Administration 750 mg vial : Reconstitute the contents of a VIBATIV 750 mg vial with 45 mL of 5% Dextrose Injection, USP; Sterile Water for Injection, USP; or 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP. The resultant solution has a concentration of 15 mg/mL (total volume of approximately 50.0 mL). To minimize foaming during product reconstitution, allow the vacuum of the vial to pull the diluent from the syringe into the vial. Do not forcefully inject the diluent into the vial. Do not forcefully shake the vial and do not shake final infusion solution. The following formula can be used to calculate the volume of reconstituted VIBATIV solution required to prepare a dose: Telavancin dose (mg) = 10 mg/kg or 7.5 mg/kg x patient weight (in kg) (see Table 1 ) Volume of reconstituted solution (mL) = Telavancin dose (mg) 15 mg/mL For doses of 150 to 800 mg, the appropriate volume of reconstituted solution must be further diluted in 100 to 250 mL prior to infusion. Doses less than 150 mg or greater than 800 mg should be further diluted in a volume resulting in a final concentration of 0.6 to 8 mg/mL. Appropriate infusion solutions include: 5% Dextrose Injection, USP; 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP; or Lactated Ringer's Injection, USP. The dosing solution should be administered by intravenous infusion over a period of 60 minutes. Reconstitution time is generally under 2 minutes, but can sometimes take up to 20 minutes. Mix thoroughly to reconstitute and check to see if the contents have dissolved completely. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter prior to administration. Discard the vial if the vacuum did not pull the diluent into the vial. Since no preservative or bacteriostatic agent is present in this product, aseptic technique must be used in preparing the final intravenous solution. Studies have shown that the reconstituted solution in the vial should be used within 12 hours when stored at room temperature or within 7 days under refrigeration at 2 to 8°C (36 to 46°F). The diluted (dosing) solution in the infusion bag should be used within 12 hours when stored at room temperature or used within 7 days when stored under refrigeration at 2 to 8°C (36 to 46°F). However, the total time in the vial plus the time in the infusion bag should not exceed 12 hours at room temperature and 7 days under refrigeration at 2 to 8°C (36 to 46°F). The diluted (dosing) solution in the infusion bag can also be stored at -30 to -10°C (-22 to 14°F) for up to 32 days. VIBATIV is administered intravenously. Because only limited data are available on the compatibility of VIB
Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following serious adverse reactions are also discussed elsewhere in the labeling: Nephrotoxicity [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) ] Infusion-related reactions [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 ) ] Clostridium difficile -associated diarrhea [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 ) ] Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Most common adverse reaction (≥10% of patients treated with VIBATIV) in the HABP/VABP trials is diarrhea; in the cSSSI trials, the most common adverse reactions (≥10% of patients treated with VIBATIV) include: taste disturbance, nausea, vomiting, and foamy urine. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. at 1-877-683-6110 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections The two Phase 3 cSSSI clinical trials (Trial 1 and Trial 2) for VIBATIV included 929 adult patients treated with VIBATIV at 10 mg/kg IV once daily. The mean age of patients treated with VIBATIV was 49 years (range 18-96). There was a slight male predominance (56%) in patients treated with VIBATIV, and patients were predominantly Caucasian (78%). In the cSSSI clinical trials, <1% (8/929) patients who received VIBATIV died and <1% (8/938) patients treated with vancomycin died. Serious adverse events were reported in 7% (69/929) of patients treated with VIBATIV and most commonly included renal, respiratory, or cardiac events. Serious adverse events were reported in 5% (43/938) of vancomycin-treated patients, and most commonly included cardiac, respiratory, or infectious events. Treatment discontinuations due to adverse events occurred in 8% (72/929) of patients treated with VIBATIV, the most common events being nausea and rash (~1% each). Treatment discontinuations due to adverse events occurred in 6% (53/938) of vancomycin-treated patients, the most common events being rash and pruritus (~1% each). The most common adverse events occurring in ≥10% of VIBATIV-treated patients observed in the VIBATIV Phase 3 cSSSI trials were taste disturbance, nausea, vomiting, and foamy urine. Table 4 displays the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse drug reactions reported in ≥2% of patients treated with VIBATIV possibly related to the drug. Table 4: Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Drug Reactions Reported in ≥2% of Patients Treated in cSSSI Trial 1 and Trial 2 *Described as metallic or soapy taste. VIBATIV (N=929) Vancomycin (N=938) Body as a Whole Rigors 4% 2% Digestive System Nausea 27% 15% Vomiting 14% 7% Diarrhea 7% 8% Metabolic and Nutritional Decreased appetite 3% 2% Nervous System Taste disturbance * 33% 7% Renal System Foamy urine 13% 3% HABP/VABP Two randomized, double-blind Phase 3 trials (Trial 1 and Trial 2) for VIBATIV included 1,503 adult patients treated with VIBATIV at 10 mg/kg IV once daily or vancomycin at 1 g IV twice daily. The mean age of patients treated with VIBATIV was 62 years (range 18-100) with 69% of the patients white and 65% male. In the combined VIBATIV group, 29% were VAP and 71% were HAP patients. Table 5 summarizes deaths using Kaplan-Meier estimates at Day 28 as stratified by baseline creatinine clearance categorized into four groups. Patients with pre-existing moderate/severe renal impairment (CrCl ≤ 50 mL/min) who were treated with VIBATIV for HABP/VABP had increased mortality observed versus vancomycin in both the trials. Table 5: 28-Day Mortality* Stratified by Baseline Creatinine Clearance- All-Treated Analysis Population *(Kaplan-Meier Estimates) CrCl (mL/min) Trial 1 Trial 2 VIBATIV N (%) Vancomycin N (%) Difference (95% CI) VIBATIV N (%) Vancomycin N (%) Difference (95% CI) >80 143 (12.2%) 152 (14.1%) -1.8 (-9.6, 6.0) 181 (10.5%) 181 (18.7%) -8.2 (-15.5, -0.9) >50-80 88 (27.4%) 88 (17.7%) 9.7 (-2.7, 22.1) 96 (25.6%) 90 (27.1%) -1.5 (-14.4, 11.3) 30-50 80 (34.7%) 83 (23.1%) 11.5 (-2.5, 25.5) 62 (27.7%) 68 (23.7%) 4.0 (-11.1, 19.1) <30 61 (44.3%) 51 (37.3%) 7.0 (-11.2, 25.2) 38 (61.1%) 41 (42.1%) 19.0 (-2.9, 40.8) Serious adverse events were reported in 31% of patients treated with VIBATIV and 26% of patients who received vancomycin. Treatment discontinuations due to adverse events occurred in 8% (60/751) of patients who received VIBATIV, the most common events being acute renal failure and electrocardiogram QTc interval prolonged (~1% each). Treatment discontinuations due to adverse events occurred in 5% (40/752) of vancomycin-patients, the most common events being septic shock and multi-organ failure (<1%). Table 6 displays the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse drug reactions reported in ≥ 5% of HABP/VABP patients treated with VIBATIV possibly related to the drug. Table 6: Incidence of Treatment Emergent Adverse
Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS 7.1 Drug-Laboratory Test Interactions Effects of Telavancin on Coagulation Test Parameters Telavancin binds to the artificial phospholipid surfaces added to common anticoagulation tests, thereby interfering with the ability of the coagulation complexes to assemble on the surface of the phospholipids and promote clotting in vitro . These effects appear to depend on the type of reagents used in commercially available assays. Thus, when measured shortly after completion of an infusion of VIBATIV, increases in the PT, INR, aPTT, and ACT have been observed. These effects dissipate over time, as plasma concentrations of telavancin decrease. Urine Protein Tests Telavancin interferes with urine qualitative dipstick protein assays, as well as quantitative dye methods (e.g., pyrogallol red-molybdate). However, microalbumin assays are not affected and can be used to monitor urinary protein excretion during VIBATIV treatment.
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS Intravenous Unfractionated Heparin Sodium ( 4.1 , 5.5 , 7.1 ) Known hypersensitivity to VIBATIV ( 4.2 , 5.6 , 6.2 ) 4.1 Intravenous Unfractionated Heparin Sodium Use of intravenous unfractionated heparin sodium is contraindicated with VIBATIV administration because the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) test results are expected to be artificially prolonged for 0 to 18 hours after VIBATIV administration [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 ) and Drug Interactions ( 7.1 ) ]. 4.2 Known Hypersensitivity to VIBATIV VIBATIV is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to telavancin.
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Medical Disclaimer: Information on this page is sourced from FDA-approved labeling data and is for educational reference only. It does not constitute medical advice. This information does not establish a provider-patient relationship. Always verify with current prescribing information and consult a licensed healthcare professional before any clinical decision. Read full disclaimer.
Data sourced from RxNorm (NLM/NIH), FDA Orange Book, OpenFDA, DailyMed. Last updated: 2026-03-02.