oritavancin diphosphate at a glance
Medicine class
Lipoglycopeptide antibacterial
Licensed use
Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections
Administration
Intravenous infusion prepared and given by a healthcare professional
Antibacterial coverage
Gram-positive bacteria only
Stewardship classification
Reserve antibiotic in the UK AWaRe classification
What is oritavancin diphosphate used for?
The selected UK product is licensed for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections caused by susceptible organisms.
Licensed for adults and children aged 3 months and older.
Suitable antibacterial coverage must be confirmed or strongly suspected; oritavancin does not cover Gram-negative bacteria.
Additional appropriate antibacterial treatment is required when a mixed infection is suspected.
How does oritavancin diphosphate work?
Oritavancin binds to bacterial cell-wall components, blocking both construction and cross-linking of the wall. It also disrupts the bacterial cell membrane, leading to loss of membrane function and bacterial death.
oritavancin diphosphate preparations and strengths
Solution for infusion
Route: Intravenous
Strengths: 400 mg
How to take oritavancin diphosphate
Oritavancin is not taken by mouth. A healthcare professional prepares the selected powder-for-concentrate product and administers it into a vein.
The selected formulation is reconstituted with water for injections and diluted only in glucose 5% solution.
Sodium chloride solution must not be used to dilute this formulation because precipitation may occur.
Tell staff promptly about itching, flushing, rash, chest discomfort, breathlessness, chills or other symptoms during administration.
Dizziness can occur; do not drive or operate machinery if affected.
oritavancin diphosphate side effects
Common or expected effects
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Headache or dizziness
- Itching, rash or hives
- Infusion-site pain or inflammation
- Muscle pain
- Fast heartbeat
- Anaemia or abnormal liver blood tests
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe allergic reaction or anaphylactic shock
- Serious infusion reaction with breathing difficulty, chest symptoms, faintness or swelling
- Severe skin reaction or angioedema
- Severe or persistent antibiotic-associated diarrhoea or colitis
- New or worsening abscess, skin infection or suspected bone infection
oritavancin diphosphate in pregnancy
Human pregnancy information is limited. As a precaution, use is preferably avoided during pregnancy unless the woman's clinical condition requires oritavancin; the prescriber should weigh the expected benefit against uncertainty for the pregnancy.
oritavancin diphosphate while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether oritavancin passes into human milk, and a risk to a breastfed child cannot be excluded. A specialist or prescriber should decide whether breastfeeding or oritavancin treatment should be interrupted, considering the benefits of each.
oritavancin diphosphate interactions
Tell the clinical team about anticoagulants and all other medicines. Oritavancin can alter some medicine concentrations and can produce misleading coagulation-test results.
Intravenous unfractionated heparin
Use is contraindicated for 5 days after oritavancin because the aPTT result may remain falsely elevated.
Warfarin and other coumarin anticoagulants
PT and INR results may be falsely raised for up to 12 hours, and clinical monitoring for bleeding is advised.
Narrow-therapeutic-index CYP substrates
Weak effects on CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 may alter exposure, so monitor for toxicity or reduced effectiveness.
Common questions about oritavancin diphosphate
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What infections does oritavancin diphosphate treat?
It is licensed for acute bacterial infections of the skin and underlying skin structures in adults and children aged 3 months and older.
Does oritavancin diphosphate treat MRSA?
It has activity against susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA, but treatment should be guided by the likely organism, susceptibility and specialist assessment.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.