Polymyxin B
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| Trade names | Poly-Rx, others |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
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| Routes of administration | Topical, intramuscular, intravenous, intrathecal, eye drops |
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| CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.014.340 |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C56H100N16O17S |
| Molar mass | 1301.57 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 the European Union 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] In 2022, the combination of polymyxin B with dexamethasone and neomycin was the 274th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 800,000 prescriptions.[7][8]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Polymyxin B Sulfate topical Monograph for Professionals". Drugs.com. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Neomycin, bacitracin, polymyxin b ointment". DailyMed. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Woo TM, Robinson MV (2015). Pharmacotherapeutics For Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers. F.A. Davis. p. 651. ISBN 9780803645813.
- ^ Organization, World Health (2019). "World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019" (PDF). World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771.
- ^ "Polymyxin-based products" (PDF). Assessment report. European Medicines Agency. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- ^ "The Top 300 of 2022". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "Dexamethasone; Neomycin; Polymyxin B Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 - 2022". ClinCalc. Retrieved 30 August 2024.