Nifuroxazide

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Nifuroxazide
Nifuroxazide.svg
Clinical data
AHFS/Drugs.com International Drug Names
Routes of
administration
Oral
ATC code A07AX03 (WHO)
Identifiers
CAS Number 965-52-6 N
PubChem (CID) 5337997
ChemSpider 4495115 YesY
UNII PM5LI0P38J YesY
KEGG D07111 YesY
ChEMBL CHEMBL244888 YesY
Chemical and physical data
Formula C12H9N3O5
Molar mass 275.2 g/mol
3D model (Jmol) Interactive image
 NYesY (what is this?)  (verify)

Nifuroxazide (INN) is an oral nitrofuran antibiotic, patented since 1966[1] and used to treat colitis and diarrhea in humans and non-humans.[2] It is sold under the brand names Ambatrol, Antinal, Bacifurane, Diafuryl, Pérabacticel (France), Antinal, Diax (Egypt), Nifrozid, Ercefuryl (Romania, Czech Republic, Russia), Erfuzide (Thailand), Endiex (Slovakia), Enterofuryl (Russia), Nifuroksazyd (Poland), Pentofuryl (Germany), Topron, Enterovid (Latin America), Eskapar (Mexico), Enterocolin (Bolivia), Apazid (Morocco) and Septidiaryl. It is sold in capsule form and also as a suspension. The pharmaceutical group GlaxoSmithKline plc (Previously known as SmithKline Beecham) claims that nifuroxazide is highly effective and the consumers' group Healthy Skepticism says that GlaxoSmithKline's claims have no scientific support.[3]

History[edit]

Maurice Claude Ernest Carron patented the drug in the United States in 1966.[1] Subsequent patents issued to Germano Cagliero of Marxer S.p.A describe the use of nifuroxazide as an antibiotic used to treat livestock.[2]

Effectiveness in humans[edit]

In 1997, in an Ivory Coast promotional leaflet, GlaxoSmithKline claimed that nifuroxazide (under the brand name "Ambatrol") is an anti-dehydration treatment, "neutralise[s] microbacterials" in diarrhea, and has "a spectrum which covers most enteropathogenic microbacterials, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Staphylococci, Klebsiella, Yersinia".[3] The international non-profit organisation Healthy Skepticism, at the time using their former name, Medical Lobby for Appropriate Marketing (MaLAM), disagreed, stating "We have not found any scientific evidence to support these claims."[3]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b USPTO No. 3290213 |http://www.google.com/patents?id=f2dwAAAAEBAJ
  2. ^ a b USPTO No 4093746 |http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT4093746
  3. ^ a b c "SmithKline Beecham Ambatrol (nifuroxazide)". Healthy Skepticism. June 1997. Archived from the original on 2010-12-21. Retrieved 2010-12-21. 

External links[edit]