[6][3] Oritavancin is considered a long-lasting antibiotic due to its extended half-life (up to 16 d), high protein binding capacity, and ability to penetrate tissues effectively.

[4] Oritavancin shares certain properties with other members of the glycopeptide class of antibiotics, which includes vancomycin, the current standard of care for serious Gram-positive infections in the United States and Europe.

[7] It possesses potent and rapid bactericidal activity in vitro against a broad spectrum of both resistant and susceptible Gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, enterococci, and streptococci.

[15][16] Among these "companions" drugs, fosfomycin displayed (in vitro and in vivo) synergistic activity when administered together with oritavancin against VRE strains (both vanA and vanB), including biofilm-producing isolates.

[22] In 2003, results were presented from two pivotal phase-III clinical trials testing the efficacy of daily intravenous oritavancin for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by Gram-positive bacteria.

Oritavancin showed a statistically significant improved safety profile with a 19% relative reduction in the overall incidence of adverse events versus vancomycin/cephalexin in the second and larger pivotal trial.