The pharmacodynamics of an investigational glycopeptide, LY333328 (LY), alone and in combination with gentamicin, against one vancomycin-susceptible and two vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains were studied with a multiple-dose, in vitro pharmacodynamic model (PDM), Dose-range data for the PDM studies mere obtained from static time-kill curve studies, In PDM experiments conducted over 48 h, peak LY concentrations of 0.1X and 1x the MIC every 24 h and peak gentamicin concentrations of 18 mu g/ml every 24 h (Gq24h) and 6 mu g/ml every 8 h (Gq8h) were studied atone and in the four possible LY-gentamicin combinations, Compared to either antibiotic alone, LY-gentamicin combination regimens produced significantly higher apparent killing rates (KRs) calculated during the initial 2 h postdosing, The mean KRs for LY or gentamicin alone versus those fur the LY-gentamicin combination regimens were 0.35 +/- 0.55 log(10) CFU/ml/h (95% confidence interval [CI95%], 0 to 0.70) and 1.46 +/- 0.71 log(10) CFU/ml/h (CI95%, 1.01 to 1.91), respectively (P < 0.0001). Bacterial killing at 48 h (BK48), which was calculated by subtracting the bacterial counts at 48 h from the initial inoculum, with a negative value indicating net growth, was also significantly greater. The mean BK(48)s were -0.69 +/- 0.44 log(10) CFU/ml (CI95%, -0.41 to -0.97) and 3.72 +/- 2.28 log(10) CFU/ml (CI95%, 2.28 to 5.17) for LY or gentamicin alone versus LY-gentamicin combination regimens, respectively (P < 0.0001). None of the 12 regimens with LY or gentamicin alone but 75% (9 of 12) of the LY-gentamicin combination regimens were bactericidal. Eighty-three percent: (10 of 12) of the LY-gentamicin combination regimens also demonstrated synergy. No significant differences between the pharmacodynamics of LY-gentamicin combination regimens containing Gq24h versus those containing Gq8h were detected.