Cefpodoxime is an oral, third-generation

cephalosporin The cephalosporins (sg. ) are a class of β-lactam antibiotics originally derived from the fungus ''Acremonium'', which was previously known as ''Cephalosporium''. Together with cephamycins, they constitute a subgroup of β-lactam antibiotics ...

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

. It is active against most

Gram-positive In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. Gram-positive bacte ...

and

Gram-negative Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. They are characterized by their cell envelopes, which are composed of a thin peptidoglycan cell wall ...

organisms. Notable exceptions include ''

Pseudomonas aeruginosa ''Pseudomonas aeruginosa'' is a common encapsulated, gram-negative, aerobic–facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that can cause disease in plants and animals, including humans. A species of considerable medical importance, ''P. aerugi ...

'', ''

Enterococcus ''Enterococcus'' is a large genus of lactic acid bacteria of the phylum Bacillota. Enterococci are gram-positive cocci that often occur in pairs (diplococci) or short chains, and are difficult to distinguish from streptococci on physical charact ...

'', and ''

Bacteroides fragilis ''Bacteroides fragilis'' is an anaerobic, Gram-negative, pleomorphic to rod-shaped bacterium. It is part of the normal microbiota of the human colon and is generally commensal, but can cause infection if displaced into the bloodstream or surroun ...

''. Currently, it is only marketed as generic preparations in the US, according to the FDA Orange Book. It is commonly used to treat acute

otitis media Otitis media is a group of inflammatory diseases of the middle ear. One of the two main types is acute otitis media (AOM), an infection of rapid onset that usually presents with ear pain. In young children this may result in pulling at the ear, ...

pharyngitis Pharyngitis is inflammation of the back of the throat, known as the pharynx. It typically results in a sore throat and fever. Other symptoms may include a runny nose, cough, headache, difficulty swallowing, swollen lymph nodes, and a hoarse voice ...

sinusitis Sinusitis, also known as rhinosinusitis, is inflammation of the nasal mucosa, mucous membranes that line the paranasal sinuses, sinuses resulting in symptoms that may include thick Mucus#Respiratory system, nasal mucus, a nasal congestion, plugg ...

, and gonorrhea. It also finds use as oral continuation therapy when

intravenous Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutrie ...

cephalosporins (such as

ceftriaxone Ceftriaxone, sold under the brand name Rocephin, is a third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. These include middle ear infections, endocarditis, meningitis, pneumonia, bone and joint ...

) are no longer necessary for continued treatment. Cefpodoxime inhibits cell wall synthesis by inhibiting the final transpeptidation step of peptidoglycan synthesis in cell walls. It has well established pharmacokinetic profile with absorption of 50%. It is indicated in community acquired pneumonia, uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections. It was patented in 1980 and approved for medical use in 1989.

Spectrum of bacterial susceptibility and resistance

Cefpodoxime has been used to fight pathogenic bacteria responsible for causing gonorrhoea, tonsillitis, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Representative pathogenic genera include ''Streptococcus, Haemophilus'', and ''Neisseria''. The following represents MIC susceptibility data for a few medically significant microorganisms. * ''

Haemophilus influenzae ''Haemophilus influenzae'' (formerly called Pfeiffer's bacillus or ''Bacillus influenzae'') is a Gram-negative, non-motile, coccobacillary, facultatively anaerobic, capnophilic pathogenic bacterium of the family Pasteurellaceae. The bacteria ...

'': ≤0.03 – 1 μg/ml * ''Neisseria gonorrhoeae'': 0.004 – 0.06 μg/ml * ''Streptococcus pyogenes'': ≤0.004 – 2 μg/ml

Brand name

Zoetis Zoetis Inc. (/zō-EH-tis/) is an American drug company, the world's largest producer of medicine and vaccinations for pets and livestock. The company was a subsidiary of Pfizer, the world's largest drug maker, but with Pfizer's spinoff of its ...

markets cefpodoxime proxetil under the trade name Simplicef for veterinary use, Finecure, India markets the products under trade name Cefpo. Vantin (by

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...

) in suspension or tablet form. Toraxim (by Delta Pharma Ltd. Bangladesh) Trucef (by Renata Limited, Bangladesh) Tricef (by Alkaloid Skopje, North Macedonia) Orelox (by

Sanofi-Aventis Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. Originally, the corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 2004, Sanofi-Syn ...

) MAPDOX-CV: Cefpodoxime and Clavulanic acid combination MONOTAX O (Cefpodoxime)/ MONOTAX CV (Cefpodoxime and Clavulanic acid combination) (by Zydus Healthcare Ltd.) ACXIME 200/CV (by Allencia Biosciences, India) POSTPOD-50 (Cefpodoxime 50mg/5ml) (by Laafon Galaxy Pharmaceuticals)

References

External links

* – cefpodoxime proxetil
Vantin Tablets and Oral Suspension Torpod (Torrent) Full U.S. Prescribing Information
(from manufacturer's website)
Simplicef
(from manufacturer's website) * https://web.archive.org/web/20190425082636/https://www.intaspharma.com/index.php?option=com_djcatalog2&view=itemstable&cid=3&Itemid=77 {{CephalosporinAntiBiotics Cephalosporin antibiotics Thiazoles Ketoximes