chloramphenicol

Trade name: chloromycetin

Small moleculeapproved

Approved

Jun 1, 1951

Chloramphenicol is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that was first isolated from Streptomyces venezuelae in 1947. The drug was subsequently chemically synthesized. It has both a bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect; in the usual therapeutic concentrations it is bacteriostatic. Chloramphenicol is used for the treatment of serious gram-negative, gram-positive, and anaerobic infections. It is especially useful in the treatment of meningitis, typhoid fever, and cystic fibrosis. It should be reserved for infections for which other drugs are ineffective or contraindicated. Chloramphenicol, a small inhibitor of bacterial protein synthesis, is active against a variety of bacteria and readily enters the CSF. It has been used extensively in the last decades for the treatment of bacterial meningitis. In industrialized countries, chloramphenicol is restricted mostly to topical uses because of the risk of induction of aplastic anemia. However, it remains a valuable reserve antibiotic for patients with allergy to β-lactam antibiotics or with CNS infections caused by multiresistant pathogens. — NCATS

Clinical trial activity

4 trials · 4 clinical orgs · 17 marketing orgs

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

Earliest trial started Jan 1, 2011 (NCT01256437)

Timeline

1950s

Jun 1, 1951
King Pharmaceuticals — Earliest FDA Approval
Jun 1, 1951
King Pharmaceuticals — NDA Organization
Jun 1, 1951
Parke-Davis — NDA Secondary Org

1960s

Apr 1, 1964
Parke-Davis — Marketing Organization
Apr 1, 1964
Pfizer — NDA Secondary Org
Jun 20, 1967
Armenpharm — Marketing Organization
Mar 20, 1968
Allergan — NDA Secondary Org
Oct 1, 1968
Altana — Marketing Organization

1970s

Jul 21, 1970
Allergan — Marketing Organization
Apr 26, 1973
Alcon — Marketing Organization

1980s

Apr 28, 1980
Teva — Marketing Organization
Aug 31, 1981
Akorn, Inc. — Marketing Organization
Aug 31, 1981
Epic Pharma Llc — Marketing Organization
Mar 31, 1982
Optopics — Marketing Organization
Aug 25, 1982
Fresenius — Marketing Organization
Sep 25, 1985
Nestle — Marketing Organization

2010s

Jan 1, 2011
Earliest Phase 2 Sponsor(trial)

Indications

Approved for

Studied for

Mechanism of action

Bacterial 70S ribosomeINHIBITOR
Bacterial 70S ribosome inhibitor
23S RRNA

Combination products

chloromycetin hydrocortisone
with urea
chloromyxin
with polymyxin b sulfate
chloroptic-p s.o.p
with prednisone
elase-chloromycetin
with sodium deoxyribonucleate, fibrinolysin, human
ophthocort
with urea, polymyxin b sulfate

Approval history

approvedJun 1, 1951

Chemistry & pharmacology

Loading structure…

SMILES

O=C(O)CCC(=O)OC[C@@H](NC(=O)C(Cl)Cl)[C@H](O)c1ccc([N+](=O)[O-])cc1

Mol. weight: 423.2 g/mol
Lipinski Ro5: Pass
Rule of 3: No
Chirality: Single Stereoisomer
Inorganic: No
Polymer: No
Delivery: Parenteral
Availability: Discontinued

Oral

Parenteral

Yes

Topical

Black box warningProdrug

Sources

Also known as

amphicol
amphicol
brochlor
brochlor
brolene antibiotic
chloramex
chloramex
chloramex
chloramphenicol
chloramphenicol
chloramphenicol
chloramphenicol
chloramphenicol
chloramphenicol
chloramphenicol
chloramphenicol
chloramphenicol
chloramphenicol
chloramphenicol hemisuccinate
chloramphenicol hemisuccinate
chloramphenicol hemisuccinate
chloramphenicol monosuccinate
chloramphenicol monosuccinate sodium salt
chloramphenicol sodium succinate
chloramphenicol sodium succinate
chloramphenicol sodium succinate
chloramphenicol sodium succinate
chloramphenicol sodium succinate
chloramphenicol succinate
chloramphenicol succinate
chloramphenicol succinate
chloramphenicol succinate
chloramphenicol succinate
chloramphenicol succinate
chloramphenicol succinate
chloramphenicol succinate sodium
chloramphenicol succinate sodium
chloramphenicol succinic acid
chloramphenicolum
chloramphenicolum
chlorbiotic
chlorbiotic
chlornitromycin
chlornitromycin
chlorocid
chlorocid
chlorocidin
chlorocol
chlorocol
chlorofair
chlorofair
chloromyccetin sod succ
chloromycetin
chloromycetin
chloroptic
chloroptic
chloroptic
chloroptic s.o.p.
chloroptic s.o.p.
cloramfenicol
cloramfenicol
cloramphenicol
d-(-)-2,2-dichloro-n-(beta-hydroxy-alpha-(hydroxymethyl)-p-nitrophenylethyl)acetamide
d-(-)-2,2-dichloro-n-(beta-hydroxy-alpha-(hydroxymethyl)-p-nitrophenylethyl)acetamide
d-(-)-threo-1-p-nitrophenyl-2-dichloroacetylamino-1,3-propanediol
d-(-)-threo-1-p-nitrophenyl-2-dichloroacetylamino-1,3-propanediol
econochlor
econochlor
fenicol
fenicol
globenicol
globenicol
golden eye antibiotic
halomycetin
halomycetin
kemicetine
kemicetine
kernispray
klorafect
laevomycetinum
laevomycetinum
levomicetina
levomicetina
levomycetin
levomycetin
levomycetin sodium succinate
levomycetin succinate
mychel
mychel
mychel-s
mychel-s
oleomycetin
oleomycetin
ophthochlor
ophthochlor
optomycin
optomycin
paraxin
paraxin
protophenicol
protophenicol
sificetina
sificetina
sno phenicol
sno phenicol
sodium chloramphenicol succinate
synthomycine
synthomycine
tevcocin
tevcocin
threolone
tubilux infected eyes

Clinical trials

NCT ID	Phase	Start date	Sponsor(s)
NCT04131335	N/A	Oct 14, 2019	University of London
NCT03650036	Phase 2	Jun 4, 2018	Federal University of Piaui
NCT03105505	Phase 4	Apr 28, 2017	Barzilai Medical Center
NCT01256437	Phase 2	Jan 1, 2011	Tel Aviv University

Showing 4 of 4 trials

Page 1 / 1

Organizations

Research & Development (4)

Organization	Org type	Trials	As lead sponsor	Phases	Earliest year
Barzilai Medical Center	Academic/Hospital	1	1	1	2017
Federal University of Piaui	Academic/Hospital	1	1	1	2018
Tel Aviv University	Academic/Hospital	1	1	1	2011
University of London	Academic/Hospital	1	1	1	2019

4 organizations

Page 1 / 1

Marketing (19)

Organization	Org type	Relationship	Date
ANGUS	For profit	MKTG	—
Akorn, Inc.	For profit	MKTG	Aug 31, 1981
Alcon	For profit	MKTG	Apr 26, 1973
Allergan	For profit	NDA2	Mar 20, 1968
Allergan	For profit	MKTG	Jul 21, 1970
Altana	For profit	MKTG	Oct 1, 1968
Armenpharm	For profit	MKTG	Jun 20, 1967
Elkins Sinn	For profit	MKTG	—
Epic Pharma Llc	For profit	MKTG	Aug 31, 1981
Fresenius	For profit	MKTG	Aug 25, 1982
GRUPPO LEPETIT	For profit	MKTG	—
King Pharmaceuticals	For profit	NDA	Jun 1, 1951
Nestle	For profit	MKTG	Sep 25, 1985
Optopics	Academic/Hospital	MKTG	Mar 31, 1982
Parke-Davis	For profit	MKTG	Apr 1, 1964
Parke-Davis	For profit	NDA2	Jun 1, 1951
Pfizer	For profit	NDA2	Apr 1, 1964
Pharmafair	For profit	MKTG	—
Teva	For profit	MKTG	Apr 28, 1980