Flucloxacillin

(CC) Image: David E. Volk
Flucloxacillin

Flucloxacillin is a pencillin-like beta-lactam antibiotic that is an analog of cloxacillin. It is used to treat bacterial infections, mostly from aerobic gram-positive bacteria. Flucloxacillin, and all penicillin-like drugs, may cause anaphylactic shock.

Mechanism of action

Like other penicillin drugs, it inhibits the last stage of bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to penicillin binding proteins, which inhibits the cross-linking needed to form stable cell walls. This leads to autolysis of the bacteria by autolysins.

Chemistry

Its IUPAC chemical name is (2S,5R,6R)-6-[[3-(2-chloro-6-fluorophenyl)-5-methyl1,2-oxazole-4-carbonyl]amino]-3, 3-dimethyl-7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-2-carboxylic acid and it has molecular formula C₁₉H₁₇ClFN₃O₅S. Flucloxacillin is stable against degradtion by beta-lactamases, including penicillinases, and cephalosporinases.

Drug interactions

Several drugs, including demeclocycline, doxyclycline, methacycline, minocycline. oxytetracycline, rolitetracycline and tetracycline may be antagonists of flucloxacillin. Flucloxacillin may decrease the effects of the contraceptive drugs ethinyl estradiol and mestranol.

Synonyms and brand names

Synonyms

• Flucloxacilina
• Flucloxacillin
• Flucloxacillin
• Flucloxacilline
• Flucloxacillinum
• Floxacillin

Brand names

• Floxapen
• Fluclox
• Sesamol

External links

• Flucloxacillin - FDA approved drug information (drug label) from DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
• Drug Bank [1]