Oritavancin is a glycopeptide antibiotic. This class of drugs inhibit the synthesis of cell walls in susceptible microbes by inhibiting peptidoglycan synthesis. They bind to the amino acids within the cell wall preventing the addition of new units to the peptidoglycan. In particular they bind to acyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine in peptidoglycan.
Oritavancin is an investigational glycopeptide antibiotic with bactericidal activity effective in treating infections caused by Gram-positive organisms. It treats complicated skin and skin structure infections. This new drug will be tested for treatment of bacteraemia and nosocomial pneumonia. It demonstrates similar activity to vancomycin, but it has stronger activity against Staphylococcus and Enterococcus. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oritavancin appear to be favourable and once-daily dosing is likely. The incidence of multi-drug resistant bacteria is increasing and explorations into additional treatment options are essential.