Cost-effectiveness of linezolid in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin and skin structure infections.

Linezolid is a novel oxazolidinone antibacterial agent with a broad clinical application, especially in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft-tissue infections and skin and skin-structure infections. Pharmacoeconomic advantages include decreased hospital duration, reduction in intravenous antibiotic use and early discharge opportunities that contribute to an overall reduction in healthcare resources. Linezolid's oral formulation has a pharmacokinetic profile that is similar to its intravenous formulation, which creates opportunities for early discharge not available to comparators like vancomycin and daptomycin. Both vancomycin and daptomycin require intravenous therapy, which compounds the resources required in treating methicillin-resistant S. aureus skin and soft tissue/skin and skin structure infections. Pharmacoeconomic studies have demonstrated an overall reduction in total direct costs to the payer in favor of linezolid over its comparators. Its overall reduction in healthcare utilization makes it an appropriate alternative to the standard therapy, vancomycin.