For doctors
What is it and how is it used?
The active substance in Cubicin powder for solution for injection or infusion is daptomycin. Daptomycin is an antibiotic that can stop the growth of certain bacteria. Cubicin is used in adults to treat infections of the skin and the tissues below the skin. It is also used in adults to treat infections in the tissues that line the inside of the heart (including heart valves) which are caused by a bacterium called Staphyloccocus aureus and to treat infections in the blood caused by the same bacterium when associated with skin or heart infection.
Depending on the type of infection(s) that you have, your doctor may also prescribe other antibiotics while you are receiving treatment with Cubicin.
What do you have to consider before using it?
You should not be given Cubicin
If you are allergic (hypersensitive) to daptomycin or to sodium hydroxide.
If this applies to you, tell your doctor or nurse. If you think you may be allergic, ask your doctor or nurse for advice.

Take special care with Cubicin

Tell your doctor straight away if you develop any of the following symptoms:

Cubicin may interfere with laboratory tests that measure how well your blood is clotting. The results can suggest poor blood clotting when, in fact, there is no problem. Therefore it is important that your doctor takes into account that you are receiving Cubicin. Please inform your doctor that you are on treatment with Cubicin.

Your doctor will perform blood tests to monitor the health of your muscles both before you start treatment and frequently during treatment with Cubicin.

Use in children
The use of Cubicin in children has not been studied and is therefore not recommended.

Use in elderly
People over the age of 65 can be given the same dose as other adults, provided their kidneys are working well.

Taking other medicines
Please tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
It is particularly important that you mention the following:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Cubicin is not usually given to pregnant women. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant.

Do not breast-feed if you are receiving Cubicin, because it may pass into your breast milk and could affect the baby.

Driving and using machines
Cubicin has no known effects on the ability to drive or use machines.

How is it used?
Cubicin will usually be given to you by a doctor or a nurse.

The dose will depend on how much you weigh and the type of infection being treated. The usual dose for adults is 4 mg for every kilogram (kg) of body weight once daily for skin infections or 6 mg for every kg of body weight once daily for a heart infection or a blood infection associated with skin or heart infection. This dose is given directly into your blood stream (into a vein), either as an infusion lasting about 30 minutes or as an injection lasting about 2 minutes. The same dose is recommended in people aged over 65 years provided their kidneys are working well.

If your kidneys do not work well, you may receive Cubicin less often, e.g. once every other day. If you are receiving dialysis, and your next dose of Cubicin is due on a dialysis day, you will be usually given Cubicin after the dialysis session.

A course of treatment usually lasts for 1 to 2 weeks for skin infections. For blood or heart infections and skin infect