S. aureus causes a series of invasive diseases in adults and children, including bacteremia. Infections due to S. aureus in children, particularly those due to methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), are a growing world-wide public health concern.
Daptomycin, a cyclic lipopeptide antibacterial agent, shows rapid in vitro bactericidal activity with concentration-dependent killing for Gram-positive organisms, including S. aureus. Surveillance studies have demonstrated a daptomycin MIC90 of 0.5µg/ml for both methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and MRSA with >99% of MRSA isolates being categorized as susceptible by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Committee of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (EUCAST) and Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) breakpoints (5). Clinical trials in adults demonstrated that daptomycin was safe and efficacious in complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) and bloodstream infections caused by S. aureus, including right-sided infective endocarditis (RIE). However, information on the safety and efficacy of daptomycin for use in children is lacking.
The intent of this study in children is to confirm the safety of daptomycin at mean steady state systemic exposures (AUC) similar to those reported for adults treated at 6 mg/kg for bacteremia.