Comparative pharmacokinetics of teicoplanin and vancomycin.

Teicoplanin has unique properties that should be used to the advantage of patients. Due to its pharmacokinetic profile, teicoplanin is more effectively administered once daily than vancomycin and offers a choice of administration routes (i.v./i.m.). At the recommended dosing regimen (6 mg/kg/day, with an additional loading dose of 12 mg/kg in the first 24 hours) efficacious serum levels of teicoplanin are almost guaranteed. Unlike vancomycin, routine drug monitoring is not required for safety reasons, but is, in certain clinical situations, useful for predicting teicoplanin's therapeutic effect.