Oxytetracycline was the second of the broad-spectrum tetracycline group of antibiotics to be discovered.

History

---

It was first found near Pfizer laboratories in a soil sample yielding the soil actinomycete, Streptomyces rimosus by Finlay et al. In 1953, a celebrated Scottish American biochemist, Robert B Woodward,worked out the chemical structure of Oxytetracycline, enabling Pfizer to mass produce the drug under the tradename, Terramycin. This discovery by Woodward was a major advancement in Tetracycline research and paved the way for the discovery of an Oxytetracycline derivative, Doxycycline, which is one of the most popularly used antibiotics today.

Indications

---

Oxytetracycline, like other Tetracyclines, is used to treat many infections common and rare (see Tetracycline antibiotics group). Its better absorption profile makes it preferable to tetracycline for moderately severe acne at a dosage of 250-500mg four times a day for usually 6-8 weeks at a time, but alternatives should be sought if no improvement occurs by 3 months.

More on [ Oxytetracycline ]

Subscribe to Oxytetracycline RSS feed