Linezolid
Linezolid is an antibiotic. It can heal serious infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria that other antibiotics are do not heal. Linezolid is active against most Gram-positive bacteria which cause disease, like streptococci and MRSA.[1] It is mainly used to treat infections of the skin and pneumonia.
It is relatively safe to take linezolid for short periods. It can be used in people of all ages and in people with liver disease or poor kidney function. Common harmful effects of short-term use include headache, diarrhea, and nausea. Long-term use, however, has been associated with more serious harmful effects.[2]
Linezolid was discovered in the 1990s by a team at Pharmacia & Upjohn Company. It was first approved for use in 2000. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, which is a list of medications needed in a basic health system.[3] Linezolid costs approximately US$100 per tablet in the United States.[4]
Society and culture
Brand names
Linezolid is marketed by Pfizer under the trade names Zyvox (in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and several other countries), Zyvoxid (in Europe), and Zyvoxam (in Canada and Mexico). Generics are also available, such as Linospan/Lizomed (in India), Nezocin (in Pakistan), and Linzolid (in Bangladesh, by Incepta).
Linezolid Media
This echocardiogram shows vegetations on the tricuspid valve (white arrow) caused by infective endocarditis. The patient received conventional treatment, with ampicillin, imipenem, and glucocorticoids, and recovered fully after heart surgery.
Simplified schematic of mRNA translation. Linezolid occupies the A site (at center) and prevents tRNA from binding.
Major metabolites of linezolid
Numbered structure of linezolid, showing the pharmacophore required for good activity (in blue) and desirable structural features (in orange).
References
- ↑ Pfizer (2010-07-16). "Zyvox (linezolid) Label Information" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-04-02.
- ↑ Barnhill AE, Brewer MT, Carlson SA (August 2012). "Adverse effects of antimicrobials via predictable or idiosyncratic inhibition of host mitochondrial components". Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 56 (8): 4046–51. doi:10.1128/AAC.00678-12. PMC 3421593. PMID 22615289.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "19th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (April 2015)" (PDF). WHO. April 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
- ↑ Lexi-Comp (August 2008). "Linezolid". Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy.