Musculoskeletal toxicities in patients receiving concomitant statin and daptomycin therapy

This article evaluates the musculoskeletal safety of concomitant therapy with daptomycin and Hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins).

Often indicated for severe gram-positive infections, daptomycin is commonly administered with statins but there is limited guidance on the appropriate management of concomitant therapy with daptomycin and statins. A narrative review was conducted to review contemporary clinical evidence of the safety of concomitant therapy with daptomycin and statins. A total of 5 studies were identified comparing daptomycin monotherapy versus daptomycin and statin concomitant therapy for the primary outcome of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) elevations in a variety of patient populations with systemic, skin/soft tissue, and bone/joint infections. Of these studies, 4 also compared myalgia or myopathy as a secondary outcome. Case studies, the case-control study and 1 prospective registry comparing statin alone versus daptomycin and statin concomitant therapy were excluded. These studies showed that concomitant therapy with daptomycin and statin was not significantly associated with CPK elevation or higher event rate of myalgia or myopathy, compared to daptomycin monotherapy.

Published cohort studies do not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in the rate of CPK elevations or musculoskeletal toxicities between patients receiving daptomycin monotherapy and daptomycin plus a statin. Patients receiving statins who start daptomycin therapy should continue statin but with weekly monitoring of CPK levels. Continuation of statins is especially important in high-risk patients receiving statins for secondary prevention for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. If myalgia develops, it is reasonable to evaluate the degree of CPK elevation and reassess the need for statin use during daptomycin treatment.