Drug Summary

  Drug name:  erythromycin
  Chemical name:  Erythromycin
  Formula:  C₃₇H₆₇NO₁₃
  Weight:   733.9268
  CAS no:  114-07-8
  DrugBank link:  DB00199
  Description:  Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces erythreus. It inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to bacterial 50S ribosomal subunits; binding inhibits peptidyl transferase activity and interferes with translocation of amino acids during translation and assembly of proteins. Erythromycin may be bacteriostatic or bactericidal depending on the organism and drug concentration.
  Indication:  For use in the treatment of infections caused by susceptible strains of microorganisms in the following diseases: respiratory tract infections (upper and lower) of mild to moderate degree, pertussis (whooping cough), as adjunct to antitoxin in infections due to Corynebacterium diphtheriae, in the treatment of infections due to Corynebacterium minutissimum, intestinal amebiasis caused by Entamoeba histolytica, acute pelvic inflammatory disease caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, skin and soft tissue infections of mild to moderate severity caused by Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, primary syphilis caused by Treponema pallidum, infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, nongonococcal urethritis caused by Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Legionnaires' disease caused by Legionella pneumophila.