On Jun. 21, 2021, Cumberland Pharma released a series of case reports describing the effectiveness of Vibativ (telavancin) in treating secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients – particularly those with other significant health problems, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The dossier of patient case studies outlined five real-world instances where Vibativ effectively and safely treated hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia in COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Joseph Reilly, a clinical pharmacist specialist for infectious disease and critical care at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Pomona, N.J., provided two COVID-19 patient cases for the dossier. Both patients had diabetes, heart disease and other underlying health conditions. One patient presented with MSSA hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia (HABP) and the other with MRSA ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (VABP).

“In these patients, bacterial pneumonia developed and likely contributed to their failure to improve clinically,” said Dr. Reilly. “Within 48 hours of switching antibiotic therapy to telavancin, blood cultures were clear of MSSA and MRSA. These cases illustrate the clear need for an antibiotic like telavancin, which rapidly and effectively eradicates secondary bacterial pneumonia that can develop in patients with COVID.”

Cumberland’s Vibativ (telavancin) has been used across the country to help COVID-19 patients who develop secondary bacterial infections in their lungs. The five case studies in Cumberland’s dossier illustrate that once-daily dosing of telavancin can effectively and safely treat HABP or VABP due to Gram-positive infection among COVID-19 patients.

Vibativ is a patented, FDA-approved injectable anti-infective for the treatment of certain serious bacterial infections including HABP and VABP that can result from COVID-19, flu and other infections. It is also approved for complicated skin and skin structure infections. It addresses a range of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including those that are considered difficult-to-treat and multidrug-resistant.

In March 2020, Cumberland announced an initiative to expand the availability of Vibativ to treat HABP and VABP in COVID patients across the U.S., which included the opportunity for healthcare facilities to make special financial arrangements to help ensure supply. The company also sponsored a national program with infectious disease experts to provide information on the management of complicated respiratory infections resulting from COVID-19.