Oral use of ZYVOX (Linezolid) is better to Intravenous Vancomycin use for Skin Infections

McKinnon and his team have found out the benefits of oral ZYVOX for the treatment of skin infections and pneumonia caused by bacterial infections. They compared data from 80 health care clinics and compared it with the treatment of Intravenous Vancomycin. The results show that oral tablets of Linezolid (ZYVOX), provides better treatment and significant savings of money spent to health clinics compared to vancomycin.

This study combining data from 80 health care clinics analyzed 1,048 adult patients treated with ZYVOX and compared it with 1,048 patients taking IV vancomycin between January 2002 and March 2004. Demographic, clinical and resource utilization data were collected for 12 months prior and during the 35 day observation period, including treatment duration.

During the follow-up period, 35 days after treatment, patients who received oral ZYVOX used significantly fewer health care resources in the six areas studied, including physician office visits (4.1 vs. 8.4 visits per patient; p<0.0001), emergency room visits (0.13 vs. 0.17; p=0.003), diagnostic claims (6.3 vs. 10.4; p<0.0001), other outpatient claims (8.9 vs. 18.4; p<0.0001), pharmacy claims (7.3 vs. 13.6; p<0.0001) and hospitalizations (0.19 vs. 0.23; p=0.024). The average total cost of care per patient was $4,630 (34 percent) less for ZYVOX patients compared with vancomycin patients ($8,922 vs. $13,552; p<0.0001).

EXPERTS VIEW OF ZYVOX:

“In short, patients were able to recover at home with less medical intervention than patients taking vancomycin,” said Yehuda Carmeli, MD, MPH, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Mass. and study investigator. “As the medical community strives to provide the best patient care while containing costs, these are important data for physicians to take under consideration.”

“This new information broadens our understanding of the benefits of oral linezolid,” said Peggy S. McKinnon, Pharm D, Clinical Pharmacist, Transplant Infectious Diseases/Clinical Research at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. and lead investigator. “Using an oral agent eliminates the risk of IV complications, such as line infections, as well as the cost of IV administration. This study offers further evidence of the cost savings of oral linezolid to the health care system.”

USE of ZYVOX:

ZYVOX was initially approved in the United States in April 2000 for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSIs) and nosocomial pneumonia, including those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). ZYVOX is also used for infections caused by other bacteria and fungi.

SIDE EFFECTS of ZYVOX:

ZYVOX formulations are contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity. Myelosuppression which causes anemia, leucopenia, pancytopenia, and thrombocytopenia has been reported in patients receiving Linezolid. Treatment involving ZYVOX should be discontinued if patients develop or have worsening myelosuppression. Lactic acidosis has been reported with the use of ZYVOX.

Peripheral and optic neuropathy has been reported in patients treated with ZYVOX, primarily those patients treated for longer than the maximum recommended duration of 28 days. In cases of optic neuropathy that progressed to loss of vision, patients were treated for extended periods beyond the maximum recommended duration. Visual blurring has been reported in some patients treated with ZYVOX for less than 28 days. The most commonly reported adverse events in adults across clinical trials were nausea, headache, and diarrhea.