Dalbavancin for the management of osteomyelitis: a major step forward?

Osteomyelitis is one of the most challenging infectious diseases to treat and is associated with a significant burden to healthcare systems. There are limited available therapeutic options to treat osteomyelitis caused by Gram-positive pathogens and these are not without limitations. Dalbavancin is a long-acting lipoglycopeptide, approved for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections caused by designated susceptible strains of Gram-positive microorganisms. It demonstrated promising pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties and safety data to be considered for the treatment of bone infections. However, information on the effectiveness and safety of dalbavancin in the treatment of invasive Gram-positive infections, such as osteomyelitis, is very limited. In this review, we describe the novel characteristics and potential utility of dalbavancin in the treatment of osteomyelitis and summarize its long-term clinical outcomes from published case reports, series and comparative studies.