General
If a focus of infection other than cSSTI or RIE is identified after initiation of daptomycin therapy consideration should be given to instituting alternative antibacterial therapy that has been demonstrated to be efficacious in the treatment of the specific type of infection(s) present.
Anaphylaxis/hypersensitivity reactions
Anaphylaxis/hypersensitivity reactions have been reported with daptomycin. If an allergic reaction to daptomycin occurs, discontinue use and institute appropriate therapy.
Pneumonia
It has been demonstrated in clinical studies that daptomycin is not effective in the treatment of pneumonia. Daptomycin is therefore not indicated for the treatment of pneumonia.
RIE due to Staphylococcus aureus
Clinical data on the use of daptomycin to treat RIE due to Staphylococcus aureus are limited to 19 adult patients (see “Clinical efficacy in adults” in section 5.1). The safety and efficacy of daptomycin in children and adolescents aged below 18 years with right-sided infective endocarditis (RIE) due to Staphylococcus aureus have not been established.
The efficacy of daptomycin in patients with prosthetic valve infections or with left-sided infective endocarditis due to Staphylococcus aureus has not been demonstrated.
Deep-seated infections
Patients with deep-seated infections should receive any required surgical interventions (e.g. debridement, removal of prosthetic devices, valve replacement surgery) without delay.
Enterococcal infections
There is insufficient evidence to be able to draw any conclusions regarding the possible clinical efficacy of daptomycin against infections due to enterococci, including Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. In addition, dose regimens of daptomycin that might be appropriate for the treatment of enterococcal infections, with or without bacteraemia, have not been identified. Failures with daptomycin in the treatment of enterococcal infections that were mostly accompanied by bacteraemia have been reported. In some instances treatment failure has been associated with the selection of organisms with reduced susceptibility or frank resistance to daptomycin (see section 5.1).
Non-susceptible micro-organisms
The use of antibacterials may promote the overgrowth of non-susceptible micro-organisms. If superinfection occurs during therapy, appropriate measures should be taken.
Clostridioides difficile -associated diarrhoea
Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhoea (CDAD) has been reported with daptomycin (see section 4.8). If CDAD is suspected or confirmed, Daptomycin may need to be discontinued and appropriate treatment instituted as clinically indicated.
Drug/laboratory test interactions
False prolongation of prothrombin time (PT) and elevation of international normalised ratio (INR) have been observed when certain recombinant thromboplastin reagents are utilised for the assay (see section 4.5).
Creatine phosphokinase and myopathy
Increases in plasma creatine phosphokinase (CPK; MM isoenzyme) levels associated with muscular pains and/or weakness and cases of myositis, myoglobinaemia and rhabdomyolysis have been reported during therapy with daptomycin (see sections 4.5, 4.8 and 5.3). In clinical studies, marked increases in plasma CPK to > 5x Upper Limit of Normal (ULN) without muscle symptoms occurred more commonly in daptomycin-treated patients (1.9%) than in those that received comparators (0.5%). Therefore, it is recommended that:
- Plasma CPK should be measured at baseline and at regular intervals (at least once weekly) during therapy in all patients.
- CPK should be measured more frequently (e.g. every 2-3 days at least during the first two weeks of treatment) in patients who are at higher risk of developing myopathy. For example, patients with any degree of renal impairment (creatinine clearance < 80 ml/min; see section 4.2), including those on haemodialysis or CAPD, and patients taking other medicinal products known to be associated with myopathy (e.g. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, fibrates and ciclosporin).
- It cannot be ruled out that those patients with CPK greater than 5 times upper limit of normal at baseline may be at increased risk of further increases during daptomycin therapy. This should be taken into account when initiating daptomycin therapy and, if daptomycin is given, these patients should be monitored more frequently than once weekly.
- Daptomycin should not be administered to patients who are taking other medicinal products associated with myopathy unless it is considered that the benefit to the patient outweighs the risk.
- Patients should be reviewed regularly while on therapy for any signs or symptoms that might represent myopathy.
- Any patient that develops unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, weakness or cramps should have CPK levels monitored every 2 days. Daptomycin should be discontinued in the presence of unexplained muscle symptoms if the CPK level reaches greater than 5 times upper limit of normal.
Peripheral neuropathy
Patients who develop signs or symptoms that might represent a peripheral neuropathy during therapy with Daptomycin should be investigated and consideration should be given to discontinuation of daptomycin (see sections 4.8 and 5.3).
Paediatric population
Paediatric patients below the age of one year should not be given Daptomycin due to the risk of potential effects on muscular, neuromuscular, and/or nervous systems (either peripheral and/or central) that were observed in neonatal dogs (see section 5.3).
Eosinophilic pneumonia
Eosinophilic pneumonia has been reported in patients receiving daptomycin (see section 4.8). In most reported cases associated with daptomycin, patients developed fever, dyspnoea with hypoxic respiratory insufficiency, and diffuse pulmonary infiltrates or organising pneumonia. The majority of cases occurred after more than 2 weeks of treatment with daptomycin and improved when daptomycin was discontinued and steroid therapy was initiated. Recurrence of eosinophilic pneumonia upon re-exposure has been reported. Patients who develop these signs and symptoms while receiving daptomycin should undergo prompt medical evaluation, including, if appropriate, bronchoalveolar lavage, to exclude other causes (e.g. bacterial infection, fungal infection, parasites, other medicinal products). Daptomycin should be discontinued immediately and treatment with systemic steroids should be initiated when appropriate.
Severe cutaneous adverse reactions
Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) including drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) and vesiculobullous rash with or without mucous membrane involvement (Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN)), which could be life-threatening or fatal, have been reported with daptomycin (see section 4.8). At the time of prescription, patients should be advised of the signs and symptoms of severe skin reactions, and be closely monitored. If signs and symptoms suggestive of these reactions appear, daptomycin should be discontinued immediately and an alternative treatment should be considered. If the patient has developed a severe cutaneous adverse reaction with the use of daptomycin, treatment with daptomycin must not be restarted in this patient at any time.
Tubulointerstitial nephritis
Tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) has been reported in post-marketing experience with daptomycin. Patients who develop fever, rash, eosinophilia and/or new or worsening renal impairment while receiving daptomycin should undergo medical evaluation. If TIN is suspected, daptomycin should be discontinued promptly and appropriate therapy and/or measures should be taken.
Renal impairment
Renal impairment has been reported during treatment with daptomycin. Severe renal impairment may in itself also pre-dispose to elevations in daptomycin levels which may increase the risk of development of myopathy (see above).
An adjustment of daptomycin dose interval is needed for adult patients whose creatinine clearance is < 30 ml/min (see sections 4.2 and 5.2). The safety and efficacy of the dose interval adjustment have not been evaluated in controlled clinical trials and the recommendation is mainly based on pharmacokinetic modelling data. Daptomycin should only be used in such patients when it is considered that the expected clinical benefit outweighs the potential risk.
Caution is advised when administering daptomycin to patients who already have some degree of renal impairment (creatinine clearance < 80 ml/min) before commencing therapy with daptomycin. Regular monitoring of renal function is advised (see section 5.2).
In addition, regular monitoring of renal function is advised during concomitant administration of potentially nephrotoxic agents, regardless of the patient's pre-existing renal function (see section 4.5).
The dosage regimen for daptomycin in paediatric patients with renal impairment has not been established.
Obesity
In obese subjects with Body Mass Index (BMI) > 40 kg/m2 but with creatinine clearance > 70 ml/min, the AUC0-∞ daptomycin was significantly increased (mean 42% higher) compared with non-obese matched controls. There is limited information on the safety and efficacy of daptomycin in the very obese and so caution is recommended. However, there is currently no evidence that a dose reduction is required (see section 5.2).
Sodium
This medicinal product contains approximately 4,6 mg sodium in each 500 mg vial.
This medicinal product contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per vial, i.e. essentially 'sodium- free'.