Health Dictionary
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Pristinamycin
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Pristinamycin (INN), also spelled pristinamycine, is an antibiotic used primarily in the treatment of staphylococcal infections, and to a lesser extent streptococcal infections. It is a streptogramin group antibiotic, similar to virginiamycin, derived from the bacterium Streptomyces pristina spiralis. It is marketed in Europe by Sanofi-Aventis under the trade name Pyostacine.
Pristinamycin is a mixture of two components that have a synergistic antibacterial action. Pristinamycin I is a macrolide, and results in pristinamycin having a similar spectrum of action to erythromycin. Pristinamycin II is a depsipeptide.[1]
Clinical use
Clinical use
Despite the macrolide component, it is effective against erythromycin-resistant staphylococci and strepcococci.[2][3] Importantly, it is active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Its usefulness for severe infections, however, may be limited by the lack of an intravenous formulation owing to its poor solubility.[4] Nevertheless it is sometimes used as an alternative to rifampicin+fusidic acid or linezolid for the treatment of MRSA.
The lack of an intravenous formulation led to the development of the pristinamycin-derivative quinupristin/dalfopristin, which may be administered intravenously for more severe MRSA infections.
Footnotes
Footnotes
- ↑ Hamilton-Miller J (1991). “From foreign pharmacopoeias: ‘new’ antibiotics from old?”. J Antimicrob Chemother. 27 (6): 702–5. PMID 1938680.
- ↑ Weber P (2001). “[Streptococcus pneumoniae: lack of emergence of pristinamycin resistance]”. Pathol Biol (Paris). 49 (10): 840–5. PMID 11776696.
- ↑ Leclercq R, Soussy C, Weber P, Moniot-Ville N, Dib C (2003). “[In vitro activity of the pristinamycin against the isolated staphylococci in the french hospitals in 1999-2000]”. Pathol Biol (Paris). 51 (7): 400–4. PMID 12948760.
- ↑ Edited by Sean C. Sweetman, ed. (November 30, 2004). Martindale: The complete drug reference (34th edition ed.). London: Pharmaceutical Press. ISBN 0-85369-550-4.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]