Description
FORM AND PRESENTATION
ZAROM capsule contains azithromycin dehydrate equivalent to 250 mg of azithromycin base in a hard, gelatin capsule.
DESCRIPTION
Azithromycin is the first of a class of antibiotics designated chemically as azalides. Chemically it is derived by insertion of a
nitrogen atom into the lactone ring of erythromycin A. The chemical name of azithromycin is 9-deoxy-9a-aza-9a-
homoerythromycin A. The molecular weight is 749.0.
ACTIONS
The mode of action of azithromycin is inhibition of protein synthesis in bacteria by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit and
preventing translocation of peptides.
Azithromycin demonstrates activity in-vitro against a wide range of bacteria including :
Gram-positive aerobic bacteria :
Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes (group A -haemolytic streptococci), Streptococcus pneumoniae, a-
haemolytic streptococci (viridans group) and other streptococci, and Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Azithromycin
demonstrates cross resistance with erythromycin resistant gram-positive strains, including Streptococcus faecalis
(enterococcus) and most strains of methicillin-resistant Stapylococci.
Gram negative aerobic bacteria :
Haemophilus influenzae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Acinetobacter species, Yersinia species,
Legionella pneumophila, Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertusis, Shigella species, Pasteurella species, Vibrio
cholera and parahaemolyticus, Pleisiomonas shigelloides. Activities against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis,
Salmonella typhi, Enterobacter species, Aeromonas hydrophyla and klebsiella species are variable and susceptibility
tests should be performed. Proteus species, Serratia species, Morganella species, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are
usually resistant.
Anaerobic bacteria :
Bacteroides fragilis and Bacteroides species, Clostridium perfringens, Peptococcus species and Peptostreptococcus
species, Fusobacterium necrophorum and Proprionibacterium acnes.
Organisms of sexually transmitted diseases :
Azithromycin is active against Chalmydia trachomatis and also shows good activity against Treponema pallidum,
Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Haemophilus ducreyi.
