BETHESDA, Md. (WDNews) — A two-dose antibiotic therapy may offer patients with serious Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections an alternative to weeks of daily treatment, according to results from a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported clinical trial.
The study found that giving hospitalized adults two intravenous doses of dalbavancin, spaced seven days apart, was just as effective and safe as standard intravenous antibiotic therapy lasting four to six weeks. Results were published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
“Given the small number of antimicrobial drugs available to treat Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections and the bacteria’s growing drug resistance, establishing dalbavancin as a beneficial therapy for these severe infections gives us a vital new alternative,” said Dr. John Beigel, acting director of the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Standard treatment requires the use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line for weeks, which can cause blood clots, infections, and activity restrictions. Dalbavancin, by contrast, requires only two short IV infusions, reducing the risk of complications and the burden on patients.
The trial, conducted between 2021 and 2023 at 23 hospitals in the U.S. and Canada, enrolled 200 patients with complicated S. aureus bacteremia. Results showed nearly identical success rates in terms of survival, clearance of infection, safety, and side effects between dalbavancin and conventional therapy.
While patients in the dalbavancin group avoided many complications tied to PICC lines, researchers noted overall quality-of-life scores were similar between both groups. Further studies will analyze cost-effectiveness and long-term outcomes.
“Our findings give patients and healthcare providers the data to support an extra choice when deciding on treatment,” said Dr. Nicholas Turner, lead author of the study and assistant professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine.
