Using an agar dilution method, we determined the in vitro activity of oritavancin, vancomycin, clindamycin and metronidazole against 114 unique clinical isolates of Gram-positive anaerobes. MIC(90)s ( mu g/mL) for oritavancin were as follows: Clostridium perfringens 1.0, Propionibacterium acnes 0.25, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius 0.25, Peptoniphilus asaccharolyticus 0.5, Finegoldia magna 0.25, Micromonas. micros 0.25, and Anaerococcus prevotii 0.25. On a weight basis, oritavancin is slightly more active than vancomycin against the strains tested. The oritavancin MICs are comparable to those previously reported against staphylococci and enterococci. Oritavancin shows excellent potential for treatment of infections containing Gram-positive anaerobes such as these. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.