title: Ramoplanin: a novel antimicrobial agent with the potential to prevent vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infection in high-risk patients.
abstract: The prevention of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) colonization and infection continues to be a high priority for clinicians. An oral antimicrobial agent that reduces or eliminates VRE gastrointestinal colonization could be useful for preventing VRE infection in selected patients. Ramoplanin, a glycolipodepsipeptide, is the first in a new class of antimicrobials. It has excellent in vitro activity against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis. It is orally administered, and not absorbed systemically. In clinical trials, VRE gastrointestinal colonization was reduced to undetectable levels in 80-90% of patients during receipt of ramoplanin. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled multicentre study is currently being conducted to determine whether ramoplanin will prevent VRE bloodstream infection in oncology patients who are neutropenic due to treatment for a haematological malignancy or a bone marrow/stem cell transplant.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Munger Pavilion 245, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA. marisa_montecalvo@nymc.edu
authors.forename: Marisa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Montecalvo
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D047630:Depsipeptides; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D047630:Depsipeptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C041438:ramoplanin