title: Daptomycin: from the mountain to the clinic, with essential help from Francis Tally, MD.
abstract: Daptomycin has been approved and successfully launched for the treatment of complicated skin and skin-structure infections caused by gram-positive pathogens [1] and bacteremia and right-sided endocarditis due to Staphylococcus aureus, including strains that are resistant to methicillin or other antibiotics [2]. The development of the drug, however, was not straightforward; it involved a cast of characters, including scientists at Eli Lilly and at Cubist Pharmaceuticals. Of most importance, the development of daptomycin involved the tenacious leadership of Dr. Francis Tally. As a tribute to Dr. Tally, we attempt to reconstruct the path of daptomycin from the mountain to the clinic.
authors.affiliation: Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, USA. Barry.Eisenstein@cubist.com
authors.forename: Barry I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Eisenstein
authors.forename: Frederick B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Oleson
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Baltz
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017576:Daptomycin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017277:Drug Approval; D015195:Drug Design; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017576:Daptomycin