In vivo activity of the combination of daptomycin and fosfomycin compared with daptomycin alone against a strain of Enterococcus faecalis with high-level gentamicin resistance in the rat endocarditis model.

The in vivo activity of the combination of daptomycin and fosfomycin against a beta-lactamase-producing, highly gentamicin-resistant strain of Enterococcus faecalis in a relapse model of rat endocarditis was studied. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) (micrograms per milliliter) for these agents against this strain were 4 (daptomycin) and 16 (fosfomycin). Time-kill studies demonstrated synergistic bactericidal activity when daptomycin (0.5 micrograms/ml) and fosfomycin (32 micrograms/ml) were combined. There was no significant difference between the number of valves sterilized by daptomycin alone [six (35%) of 17 valves sterilized] and daptomycin+fosfomycin [ten (59%) of 17 valves sterilized] p = 0.3. These results suggest that the in vitro bactericidal synergism demonstrable between these two agents against strains of enterococci will not necessarily translate into greater therapeutic efficacy in clinical infections.