Amikacin 25mg/5ml solution for injection vials
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Safety information for pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnancy
Neuromuscular blockade
In addition to the above, amikacin may exacerbate neuromuscular blockade, however, this is less common.[Label,L4680]
Use in Pregnancy
Category D.
Use in Lactation
It is not known whether amikacin is excreted in breast milk.
Breastfeeding
Use in Lactation
It is not known whether amikacin is excreted in breast milk.
Always consult your doctor or midwife before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Source: DrugBank (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
Report a side effect
Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
View Drug Analysis Profile
Suspected adverse reactions reported for Amikacin
Browse all iDAP reports
Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles for all medicines
Report a side effect
Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
View EudraVigilance report
Suspected adverse reactions reported for Amikacin
About EudraVigilance
Learn about EU pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring
EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
1 branded products available
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and NHS BNF section grouping. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Amikacin
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(4)
Urinary tract infection (catheter-associated): antimicrobial prescribing (NG113)
Pyelonephritis (acute): antimicrobial prescribing (NG111)
Prostatitis (acute): antimicrobial prescribing (NG110)
Leg ulcer infection: antimicrobial prescribing (NG152)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
Pharmacy stock checkers
Search for this medicine at major UK pharmacy chains. These links open the retailer's own website — results depend on their current online catalogue.
Supply & product information
Official product databases and supply status monitoring
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. emc (electronic medicines compendium) is operated by Datapharm Ltd. Shortage information sourced from NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS), sps.nhs.uk.
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF codes from NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
23 found
Half-life
2-3 hours
Mechanism
The primary mechanism of action of amikacin is the same as that for all aminoglycosides.
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
None mapped
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
7.5 mg/k
Half-life
2-3 hours
Protein binding
10%
Volume of distribution
24 L
Following administration of usual dosages of amikacin, amikacin has been found in bone, heart, gallbladder, and lung tissue.…
Metabolism
Elimination
94-98%
Clearance
100 mL/min
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Amikacin's unique property is that it exerts activity against more resistant gram-negative bacilli such as Acinetobacter baumanii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Amikacin also exerts excellent activity against most aerobic gram-negative bacilli from the Enterobacteriaceae family, including Nocardia and some Mycobacterium (M. avium-intracellulare, M. chelonae, and M. fortuitum)[L4680]. M. avium-intracellulare (MAC) is a type of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) found in water and soil. Symptoms of this disease include a persistent cough, fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, and shortness of breath and the coughing up of blood.[L4680]
Several forms of amikacin are used currently, including an intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) injection.F1949 In September 2018, a liposomal inhalation suspension of this drug was approved by the FDA for the treatment of lung disease caused by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteria in a small population of patients with the disease who do not respond to traditional treatment.[L4680][L4681]
Clinical studies have shown amikacin sulfate injection to be effective in bacterial septicemia (including neonatal sepsis); in serious infections of the respiratory tract, bones and joints, central nervous system (including meningitis) and skin and soft tissue; intra-abdominal infections (including peritonitis); and in burns and postoperative infections (including post-vascular surgery).F1954
Clinical studies have shown amikacin also to be effective in serious, complicated, and recurrent urinary tract infections due to the above organisms. Aminoglycosides, including amikacin, are not indicated in uncomplicated first-time episodes of urinary tract infections unless the causative organisms are not susceptible to antibiotics which are less toxic.F1954
In September 2018, a new indication with a new dosage route was approved for this drug. Amikacin liposome inhalation suspension was approved for the treatment of lung disease caused by a group of bacteria, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) in a limited population of patients with the disease who do not respond to conventional treatment (refractory disease).
[L4673]
This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on achieving sputum culture conversion (defined as 3 consecutive negative monthly sputum cultures) by Month 6 of treatment.
Clinical benefit has not yet been established.[Label]
Important notes regarding Staphylococcus and Sensitivity testing:
Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains, is the principal Gram-positive organism sensitive to amikacin.
The use of amikacin in the treatment of staphylococcal infections should be restricted only to second-line therapy, and should be limited to only those patients suffering from severe infections caused by susceptible strains of staphylococcus species who have failed to show sensitivity to other available antibiotics.F1949
Bacteriologic studies should be performed to identify causative organisms and their susceptibilities to amikacin. Amikacin may be used as initial therapy in suspected gram-negative infections and therapy may be initiated before obtaining the results of susceptibility testing.[Label,F1949,F1954]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 821 interactions
[L4680]
Nephrotoxicity
Mild and reversible nephrotoxicity may be observed in 5 - 25% of patients.
Amikacin accumulates in the proximal renal tubular cells. Tubular cell regeneration occurs despite continued drug exposure. Toxicity most commonly occurs several days following initiation of therapy.
Amikacin may exacerbate pre-existing renal disease.[Label]
Ototoxicity
May cause irreversible ototoxicity.[Label] Ototoxicity appears to be correlated to cumulative exposure. Drug accumulation in the endolymph and perilymph of the inner ear causes irreversible damage to hair cells of the cochlea or summit of ampullar cristae in the vestibular complex. High- frequency hearing is lost first with progression leading to loss of low-frequency hearing.
Further toxicity may lead to retrograde degeneration of the 8th cranial (vestibulocochlear) nerve. Vestibular toxicity may cause vertigo, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and loss of balance.[F1949,Label]
Neuromuscular blockade
In addition to the above, amikacin may exacerbate neuromuscular blockade, however, this is less common.[Label,L4680]
Use in Pregnancy
Category D. Gentamicin and other aminoglycosides are known to cross the placenta.
There is evidence of selective uptake of gentamicin by the fetal kidney resulting in damage to immature nephrons. Eighth cranial nerve damage has also been reported after in-utero exposure to some of the aminoglycosides. Because of the chemical similarity, all aminoglycosides should be considered potentially nephrotoxic and ototoxic to the developing fetus.
Therapeutic blood amikacin levels in the mother do not equate with safety for the fetus. In reproductive toxicity studies in mice and rats, no effects on fertility or fetal toxicity were observed.F1949
Use in Lactation
It is not known whether amikacin is excreted in breast milk. Since the possible harmful effect on the infant is not known, it is recommended that if nursing mothers must be given amikacin, the infants should not be breastfed during therapy.F1949
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
Poorly absorbed from bladder irrigations and intrathecal administration.[F1954,Label]
The bioavailability of this drug is expected to vary primarily from individual differences in nebulizer efficiency and airway pathology.[Label]
Following IM administration of a single dose of amikacin of 7.5 mg/kg in adults with normal renal function, peak plasma amikacin concentrations of 17-25 micrograms/mL are attained within 45 minutes to 2 hours.F1949
Following IV infusion of the same dose given over 1 hour peak plasma concentrations of the drug average 38 micrograms/mL immediately following the infusion, 5.5 micrograms/mL at 4 hours, and 1.3 micrograms/mL at 8 hours.F1949
Following administration of usual dosages of amikacin, amikacin has been found in bone, heart, gallbladder, and lung tissue. Amikacin is also distributed into bile, sputum, bronchial secretions, and interstitial, pleural, and synovial fluids.F1949
In patients with impaired renal function, the clearance of amikacin is found to be decreased; the more severe the impairment, the slower the clearance.
The interval between doses of amikacin should be adjusted according to the level of renal impairment. Endogenous creatinine clearance rate and serum creatinine which have a high correlation with serum half-life of amikacin, may be used as a guide for dosing.F1949
ATC S01AA21
ATC D06AX12
ATC J01GB06
ATC J01RA06
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Show
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Amikacin
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
11178
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
2168
ChemSpider
34635
BindingDB
50237603
PDB
AKN
ZINC
ZINC000008214483
GenBank Gene Database
V00355
GenBank Protein Database
43010
UniProt Accession
RS12_ECOLI
International reference pricing
Reference pricing from DrugBank. Prices are indicative and may not reflect current UK costs.
Source: DrugBank. Used under CC BY-NC 4.0 academic licence for non-commercial purposes.
Patent information
13 active patents, 3 expired
Source: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0. Patent data sourced from national patent offices. Expiry dates may not reflect extensions, regulatory exclusivity periods, or legal challenges.
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications: