Source: Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (GB) Revision Year: 2021 Publisher: Amdipharm UK Limited, Capital House, 85 King William Street, London EC4N 7BL, UK
Pharmacotherapeutic group: Antibacterials for systemic use
ATC code: J01FA01
Erythromycin exerts its antimicrobial action by binding to the 50S ribosomal sub-unit of susceptible microorganisms and suppresses protein synthesis. Erythromycin is usually active against most strains of the following organisms both in vitro and in clinical infections.
Gram positive bacteria - Listeria monocytogenes, Corynebacterium diphtheriae (as an adjunct to antitoxin), Staphylococci spp, Streptococci spp (including Enterococci).
Gram negative bacteria - Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Legionella pneumophila, Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis, Bordetella pertussis, Campylobacter spp.
Mycoplasma - Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Ureaplasma urealyticum.
Other organisms - Treponema pallidum, Chlamydia spp, Clostridia spp, L-forms, the agents causing trachoma and lymphogranuloma venereum.
Note: The majority of strains of Haemophilus influenzae are susceptible to the concentrations reached after ordinary doses.
Erythromycin ethylsuccinate is less susceptible than erythromycin to the adverse effect of gastric acid. Peak blood levels normally occur within 1 hour of dosing of erythromycin ethylsuccinate granules. It is absorbed from the small intestine.
It is widely distributed throughout body tissues.
Little metabolism occurs and only about 5% is excreted in the urine. The elimination half life is approximately 2 hours. Doses may be administered 2, 3 or 4 times a day. It is excreted principally by the liver.
There are no pre-clinical data of relevance to the prescriber which are additional to that already included in other sections of the SPC.
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