Azocin

General Introduction

Azithromycin is a broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotic.

Therapeutic Category

• Macrolide antibiotics

Dosage forms available

• AZOCIN 500mg Tablets

Mechanism of action

• Azithromycin shows its anti-bacterial properties by binding to the 23S rRNA of the bacterial 50S ribosomal subunit. It stops bacterial protein synthesis by inhibiting the transpeptidation/translocation step of protein synthesis and by inhibiting the assembly of the 50S ribosomal subunit.

Pharmacokinetics

• Absorption: Absorption not affected by food, oral bioavailability 37%,
• Distribution: Widely distributed throughout the tissues with apparent volume of distribution of 31.1 L/Kg.
• Metabolism: metabolized in liver
• Elimination: excreted via urine, biliary excretion.
• Half-life: elimination half life is 68 hours

Uses

• Pharyngitis
• Sinusitis
• Tonsillitis
• Pneumonia
• Nonspecific urethritis
• Donovanosis
• Typhoid in patients allergic to cephalosporins

Dose

• 500mg tablets once a day for upto 3-5 days maximum upto a week to 10 days

Side effects

• Anorexia, Constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence, urticaria, edema, fatigue, malaise, anaphylaxis, acute renal failure, hepatic necrosis, hearing disturbances, dizziness, headache

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to azithromycin, any macrolide antibiotic, or erythromycin.

Drug Interactions

Aluminum- and magnesium-containing antacids, Cyclosporine, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors,

Precautions

• Patients with impaired hepatic or renal function and during lactation.
• Safety and efficacy for acute otitis media have not been determined in children less than 6 months of age or for pharyngitis/tonsillitis in children less than 2 years of age.

Pregnancy Category: B

Advantages

• Azithromycin is highly stable at a low pH, giving it a longer serum half-life and increasing its concentrations in tissues compared to erythromycin.
• AZOCIN has minimal adverse reaction and superior gastrointestinal tolerability.