Polymyxin B

Polymyxin B
Clinical data
Trade namesPoly-Rx, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
Pregnancy
category
Routes of
administration		Topical, intramuscular, intravenous, intrathecal, eye drops
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Identifiers
  • N-[4-amino-1-[[1-[[4-amino-1-oxo-1-[[6,9,18-tris(2-aminoethyl)-15-benzyl-3-(1-hydroxyethyl)-12-(2-methylpropyl)-2,5,8,11,14,17,20-heptaoxo-1,4,7,10,13,16,19-heptazacyclotricos-21-yl]amino]butan-2-yl]amino]-3-hydroxy-1-oxobutan-2-yl]amino]-1-oxobutan-2-yl]-6-methyloctanamide
CAS Number
PubChem CID
DrugBank
UNII
ChEMBL
NIAID ChemDB
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.014.340 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC56H100N16O17S
Molar mass1301.57 g·mol−1
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Polymyxin B, sold under the brand name Poly-Rx among others, is an antibiotic used to treat meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, and urinary tract infections.[1] While it is useful for many Gram negative infections, it is not useful for Gram positive infections.[1] It can be given by injection into a vein, muscle, or cerebrospinal fluid or inhaled.[1] The injectable form is generally only used if other options are not available.[2] It is also available as the combinations bacitracin/polymyxin B and neomycin/polymyxin B/bacitracin for use on the skin.[3][4]

Common side effects when given by injection include kidney problems, neurological problems, fever, itchiness, and rash.[1] Injections into muscle may result in significant pain.[1] Other serious side effects may include fungal infections, anaphylaxis, and muscle weakness.[1] It is unclear if use during pregnancy is safe for the baby.[1] Polymyxin B works by breaking down the cytoplasmic membrane which generally results in bacterial cell death.[1]

Polymyxin B was approved for medical use in the United States in 1964.[1] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[5] It is available as a generic medication.[1] In Europe it is only approved to be applied to the skin as of 2015.[6] It is derived from the bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa (formerly known as Bacillus polymyxa).[2]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Polymyxin B Sulfate topical Monograph for Professionals". Drugs.com. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, Mandell GL (2009). Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 469. ISBN 9781437720600.
  3. ^ "Neomycin, bacitracin, polymyxin b ointment". DailyMed. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  4. ^ Woo TM, Robinson MV (2015). Pharmacotherapeutics For Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers. F.A. Davis. p. 651. ISBN 9780803645813.
  5. ^ Organization, World Health (2019). "World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019" (PDF). World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771.
  6. ^ "Polymyxin-based products" (PDF). Assessment report. European Medicines Agency. Retrieved 11 November 2019.