Daptomycin
Also referenced as: Cubicin
A cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic used for selected serious Gram-positive infections.
- Evidence grade
- AStrong Clinical Evidence
Strong Clinical Evidence
- Regulatory status
- FDA Approved for Specific Indication
FDA-approved for product- and population-specific bacterial infection indications; not for pneumonia or wellness use.
- Human data
- Yes
Registered clinical trials exist
- Last reviewed
- October 27, 2026
Overview
A cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic used for selected serious Gram-positive infections.
FDA-approved for product- and population-specific bacterial infection indications; not for pneumonia or wellness use.
It is not indicated for pneumonia; success in one infection site does not imply effectiveness at another.
Why It's Being Studied
- Bacterial infections
- Bacteremia and endocarditis
Mechanism of Action
It depolarizes bacterial membranes, disrupting essential cellular function.
It depolarizes bacterial membranes, disrupting essential cellular function. It is not indicated for pneumonia; success in one infection site does not imply effectiveness at another.
From molecular target to clinical evidence
Tap each stage to see what happens.
Background: Clinical Peptide Medicines
Clinical peptide medicines include endocrine treatments, antimicrobial drugs, receptor blockers and targeted diagnostic or cancer agents. They do not share one mechanism or one set of indications.
An approval belongs to a specific medicine and indication. A diagnostic tracer, an antibiotic and a hormone are not interchangeable wellness products; read each profile's own mechanism and prescribing source.
Research Areas & Routes Studied
- Bacterial infections
- Bacteremia and endocarditis
- Intravenous approved medicine
Evidence Summary
Human trials support specified complicated skin infections and Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, including adult right-sided endocarditis.
Higher tiers carry more weight. Filled tiers have evidence for Daptomycin; tap to read it.
- Human trials support specified complicated skin infections and Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, including adult right-sided endocarditis.
1 cited sources.
- Prescribing label1
Human clinical evidence
- Human trials support specified complicated skin infections and Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, including adult right-sided endocarditis.
Reported Adverse Events in Research
- Myopathy, rhabdomyolysis and eosinophilic pneumonia are important risks requiring monitoring.
Limitations of Current Evidence
- It is not indicated for pneumonia; success in one infection site does not imply effectiveness at another.
- Findings apply to the product, route and population studied; they do not establish benefits or safety for unrelated wellness uses or research-vial products.
How to Read This Research
- Is this a single molecule or a family of medicines?
- Is the use diagnostic, therapeutic or investigational?
- Does the quoted outcome match the exact product, formulation and population?
- Use the compound-specific mechanism above; this diagram describes drug development, not a shared biological pathway.
- Historical approval, present availability and off-label use are distinct questions.
- For radiopharmaceuticals and hospital medicines, specialist handling is part of the treatment context.
- Indication
- The condition and population for which a medicine is approved.
- Antagonist
- A compound that blocks activity at a receptor.
- Radiopharmaceutical
- A medicine containing a radioactive isotope for imaging or treatment.
Compare With Other Compounds
| Daptomycin | Trofinetide | |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence grade | A — Strong Clinical Evidence | B — Moderate Human Evidence |
| Regulatory status | FDA Approved for Specific Indication | FDA Approved for Specific Indication |
| Human data | Yes | Yes |
| Clinical trials | Registered trials exist | Registered trials exist |
| Research routes | Intravenous approved medicine | Oral approved medicine |
| Cited sources | 1 | 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Research References
- Prescribing label
Daptomycin — prescribing label