Erythromycin 4% gel
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Acne and rosacea
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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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.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Erythromycin
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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
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Erythromycin
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2 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.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Erythromycin
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(15)
Gastroparesis in adults: oral erythromycin (ESUOM13)
Impetigo: antimicrobial prescribing (NG153)
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in children and young people: diagnosis and management (NG1)
Gastro-oesophageal reflux in children and young people (QS112)
Cellulitis and erysipelas: antimicrobial prescribing (NG141)
Secondary bacterial infection of eczema and other common skin conditions: antimicrobial prescribing (NG190)
Sore throat (acute): antimicrobial prescribing (NG84)
Sinusitis (acute): antimicrobial prescribing (NG79)
Cough (acute): antimicrobial prescribing (NG120)
Leg ulcer infection: antimicrobial prescribing (NG152)
Otitis media (acute): antimicrobial prescribing (NG91)
Human and animal bites: antimicrobial prescribing (NG184)
Pneumonia: diagnosis and management (NG250)
Promoting tolerance of enteral feeds in children and young people: domperidone (ESUOM18)
Preterm labour and birth (NG25)
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
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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
7 found
Half-life
3.5 hours
Mechanism
In order to replicate, bacteria require a specific process of protein synthesis, enabled by ribosomal proteins.
Food interactions
3 warnings
Human targets
2 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
1.2 hours
[L7261]…
Half-life
3.5 hours
Protein binding
93%
[A174454]…
Volume of distribution
[L7261][A174448][A180607]…
Metabolism
[A174457]…
Elimination
5%
[L7270]
Under…
Clearance
0.13 l/h
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L7261]
The indications for erythromycin have been summarized by body system below:
Respiratory infections
Mild to moderate upper respiratory tract infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or Haemophilus influenzae (when used concomitantly with appropriate doses of sulfonamides) can be treated with erythromycin.
[L7261]
Mild to moderate lower-respiratory tract infections due to susceptible strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae or Streptococcus pyogenes may also be treated. Erythromycin treats listeriosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes may also be treated with erythromycin.
[L7261]
Erythromycin is indicated to treat pertussis (whooping cough) caused by Bordetella pertussis. It is effective in eliminating the causative organism from the nasopharynx of infected individuals, rendering them noninfectious.
Clinical studies suggest that erythromycin may aid in the prevention of pertussis infection for individuals who have been exposed to the bacteria.
[L7261]
Respiratory tract infections due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae may also be treated with erythromycin.
[L7261]
Despite the fact that no controlled clinical efficacy studies have been conducted to this date, in vitro and certain preliminary clinical study results indicate that erythromycin may be an effective treatment in Legionnaires’ Disease.
[L7261]
Finally, erythromycin is indicated to treat diphtheria and other infections due to Corynebacterium diphtheriae, as an adjunct to antitoxin, to prevent carrier status and to eradicate the organism in existing carriers.
[L7261]
In addition to the prevention of diphtheria, erythromycin can be used to prevent rheumatic fever in penicillin intolerant patients.
[L7261]
Skin infections
Mild to moderate skin or skin structure infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes or Staphylococcus aureus may be treated with erythromycin, however, resistant staphylococcal organisms may emerge.
[L7261]
Erythromycin can also be used to treat erythrasma, an infectious condition caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum.
[L7261]
Gastrointestinal infections
Intestinal amebiasis caused by Entamoeba histolytica can be treated with oral erythromycin. Extraenteric amebiasis warrants treatment with other antimicrobial drugs.
[L7261]
Genital infections/STIs
Erythromycin can be used as an alternative drug in treating acute pelvic inflammatory disease caused by N. gonorrheae in female patients who have demonstrated hypersensitivity or intolerance to penicillin.
[L7261]
Syphilis, caused by Treponema pallidum, can be treated with erythromycin. It serves as an alternative treatment for primary syphilis in patients who have demonstrated penicillin hypersensitivity. Erythromycin can also be used in the primary stage of primary syphilis.
[L7261]
Another approved indication of erythromycin is to treat chlamydial infections that cause conjunctivitis of the newborn, pneumonia of infancy, and urogenital infections occurring in pregnancy.
It is indicated as an alternative option to tetracyclines for the treatment of uncomplicated rectal, urethral and endocervical infections in adults caused by Chlamydia trachomatis.
[L7261]
Erythromycin can be used in nongonococcal urethritis can be used when tetracyclines cannot be administered. Finally, erythromycin is indicated to treat nongonococcal urethritis due to Ureaplasma urealyticum.
[L7261]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1356 interactions
The oral LD50 of erythromycin in rats is 9272 mg/kg.
[L7279]
Overdose information
Symptoms of overdose may include diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Erythromycin should immediately be discontinued in cases of overdose. Rapid elimination of unabsorbed drug should be attempted.
Supportive measures should be initiated. Erythromycin is not adequately removed by peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis.
[L7261]
A note on antimicrobial resistance, pseudomembranous colitis, and hepatotoxicity
Many strains of Haemophilus influenzae are resistant to erythromycin alone but are found to be susceptible to erythromycin and sulfonamides used in combination. It is important to note that Staphylococci that are resistant to erythromycin may emerge during erythromycin and/or sulfonamide therapy.[L7261] Pseudomembranous colitis has been reported with most antibacterial agents, including erythromycin, and may range in severity from mild to life-threatening. Therefore, the physician should consider this diagnosis in patients with diarrhea after the administration of antibacterial agents.[L7261] Erythromycin can cause hepatic dysfunction, cholestatic jaundice, and abnormal liver transaminases, particularly when erythromycin estolate is administered.[L7270]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L7261]
Some interindividual variation exists in terms of erythromycin absorption, which may impact absorption to varying degrees.
[L7261]
The Cmax of erythromycin is 1.8 mcg/L[A180598] and the Tmax is 1.2 hours.
[A180607]
The serum AUC of erythromycin after the administration of a 500mg oral dose was 7.3±3.9 mg.h/l in one pharmacokinetic study.
[A180607]
Erythromycin is well known for a bioavailability that is variable (18-45%) [A174451][A180595] after oral administration and its susceptibility to broken down under acidic conditions.
[A174448]
[A180598]
Repetitive dosing of erythromycin leads to increased elimination half-life.
[A180601]
[A174454]
Another resource indicates that erythromycin protein binding ranges from 80 to 90%.
[A33081]
[L7261][A174448][A180607]
Spinal fluid concentrations of erythromycin are low, however, the diffusion of erythromycin through the blood-brain barrier increases in meningitis, likely due to the presence of inflamed tissues which are easily penetrated.
[L7270]
Erythromycin crosses the placenta.
[L7261]
[A174457]
Erythromycin is partially metabolized by CYP3A4 enzyme to N-desmethylerythromycin.
[L7261][A174175]
Erythromycin is also hydrolyzed to anhydro forms (anhydroerythromycin AHE and other metabolites), and this process is promoted by acidic conditions.
[A174448]
AHE is inactive against microbes but inhibits hepatic drug oxidation and is therefore considered to be an important contributor to erythromycin drug-drug interactions.
[A174448]
[L7270]
Under 5% of the orally administered dose of erythromycin is found excreted in the urine.
[L7270][A180607]
A high percentage of absorbed erythromycin is not accounted for, but is likely metabolized.
[L7270]
[A174457]
In a clinical study of healthy patients and patients with liver cirrhosis, clearance of erythromycin was significantly reduced in those with severe liver cirrhosis.
[A180604]
The clearance in cirrhotic patients was 42.2 ± 10.1 l h–1 versus 113.2 ± 44.2 l h-1 in healthy patients.
[A180604]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:10219239 PMID:10753933 PMID:10790218 PMID:10837251 PMID:11997281 PMID:12063277 PMID:18559421 PMID:22314138 PMID:22359612 PMID:26363003 PMID:27916661 PMID:9230439 PMID:9351446 PMID:9765245
Channel properties are modulated by cAMP and subunit assembly .
PMID:10837251
Characterized by unusual gating kinetics by producing relatively small outward currents during membrane depolarization and large inward currents during subsequent repolarization which reflect a rapid inactivation during depolarization and quick recovery from inactivation but slow deactivation (closing) during repolarization .
PMID:10219239 PMID:10753933 PMID:10790218 PMID:10837251 PMID:11997281 PMID:12063277 PMID:18559421 PMID:22314138 PMID:22359612 PMID:26363003 PMID:27916661 PMID:9230439 PMID:9351446 PMID:9765245
Forms a stable complex with KCNE1 or KCNE2, and that this heteromultimerization regulates inward rectifier potassium channel activity PMID:10219239 PMID:9230439
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:10779507 PMID:15159445 PMID:17412826
Shows broad substrate specificity, can transport both organic anions such as bile acid taurocholate (cholyltaurine) and conjugated steroids (17-beta-glucuronosyl estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and estrone 3-sulfate), as well as eicosanoid leukotriene C4, prostaglandin E2 and L-thyroxine (T4) .
PMID:10779507 PMID:11159893 PMID:12568656 PMID:15159445 PMID:17412826 PMID:19129463
Hydrogencarbonate/HCO3(-) acts as the probable counteranion that exchanges for organic anions .
PMID:19129463
Shows a pH-sensitive substrate specificity towards sulfated steroids, taurocholate and T4 which may be ascribed to the protonation state of the binding site and leads to a stimulation of substrate transport in an acidic microenvironment .
PMID:19129463
Involved in the clearance of bile acids and organic anions from the liver .
PMID:22232210
Can take up bilirubin glucuronides from plasma into the liver, contributing to the detoxification-enhancing liver-blood shuttling loop .
PMID:22232210
Transports coproporphyrin I and III, by-products of heme synthesis, and may be involved in their hepatic disposition .
PMID:26383540
May contribute to regulate the transport of organic compounds in testes across the blood-testis-barrier (Probable). Can transport HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (also known as statins) such as pitavastatin, a clinically important class of hypolipidemic drugs .
PMID:15159445
May play an important role in plasma and tissue distribution of the structurally diverse chemotherapeutic drugs methotrexate and paclitaxel .
PMID:23243220
May also transport antihypertension agents, such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor prodrug enalapril, and the highly selective angiotensin II AT1-receptor antagonist valsartan, in the liver PMID:16624871 PMID:16627748
PMID:15791618 PMID:16332456 PMID:18985798 PMID:19228692 PMID:20010382 PMID:20398791 PMID:22262466 PMID:24711118 PMID:29507376 PMID:32203132
Transports taurine-conjugated bile salts more rapidly than glycine-conjugated bile salts .
PMID:16332456
Also transports non-bile acid compounds, such as pravastatin and fexofenadine in an ATP-dependent manner and may be involved in their biliary excretion PMID:15901796 PMID:18245269
PMID:2897240 PMID:35970996 PMID:8898203 PMID:9038218 PMID:35507548
Catalyzes the flop of phospholipids from the cytoplasmic to the exoplasmic leaflet of the apical membrane. Participates mainly to the flop of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, beta-D-glucosylceramides and sphingomyelins .
PMID:8898203
Energy-dependent efflux pump responsible for decreased drug accumulation in multidrug-resistant cells PMID:2897240 PMID:35970996 PMID:9038218
PMID:10358072 PMID:15159445 PMID:17412826
Shows broad substrate specificity, can transport both organic anions such as bile acid taurocholate (cholyltaurine) and conjugated steroids (dehydroepiandrosterone 3-sulfate, 17-beta-glucuronosyl estradiol, and estrone 3-sulfate), as well as eicosanoids (prostaglandin E2, thromboxane B2, leukotriene C4, and leukotriene E4), and thyroid hormones (T4/L-thyroxine, and T3/3,3',5'-triiodo-L-thyronine) .
PMID:10358072 PMID:10601278 PMID:10873595 PMID:11159893 PMID:12196548 PMID:12568656 PMID:15159445 PMID:15970799 PMID:16627748 PMID:17412826 PMID:19129463 PMID:26979622
Can take up bilirubin glucuronides from plasma into the liver, contributing to the detoxification-enhancing liver-blood shuttling loop .
PMID:22232210
Involved in the clearance of endogenous and exogenous substrates from the liver .
PMID:10358072 PMID:10601278
Transports coproporphyrin I and III, by-products of heme synthesis, and may be involved in their hepatic disposition .
PMID:26383540
May contribute to regulate the transport of organic compounds in testes across the blood-testis-barrier (Probable). Can transport HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (also known as statins), such as pravastatin and pitavastatin, a clinically important class of hypolipidemic drugs .
PMID:10601278 PMID:15159445 PMID:15970799
May play an important role in plasma and tissue distribution of the structurally diverse chemotherapeutic drug methotrexate .
PMID:23243220
May also transport antihypertension agents, such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor prodrug enalapril, and the highly selective angiotensin II AT1-receptor antagonist valsartan, in the liver .
PMID:16624871 PMID:16627748
Shows a pH-sensitive substrate specificity towards prostaglandin E2 and T4 which may be ascribed to the protonation state of the binding site and leads to a stimulation of substrate transport in an acidic microenvironment .
PMID:19129463
Hydrogencarbonate/HCO3(-) acts as the probable counteranion that exchanges for organic anions PMID:19129463
PMID:10220572 PMID:10421658 PMID:11500505 PMID:16332456
Mediates hepatobiliary excretion of mono- and bis-glucuronidated bilirubin molecules and therefore play an important role in bilirubin detoxification .
PMID:10421658
Also mediates hepatobiliary excretion of others glucuronide conjugates such as 17beta-estradiol 17-glucosiduronic acid and leukotriene C4 .
PMID:11500505
Transports sulfated bile salt such as taurolithocholate sulfate .
PMID:16332456
Transports various anticancer drugs, such as anthracycline, vinca alkaloid and methotrexate and HIV-drugs such as protease inhibitors .
PMID:10220572 PMID:11500505 PMID:12441801
Confers resistance to several anti-cancer drugs including cisplatin, doxorubicin, epirubicin, methotrexate, etoposide and vincristine PMID:10220572 PMID:11500505
PMID:19129463 PMID:7557095
Responsible for intestinal absorption of bile acids (By similarity). Transports dehydroepiandrosterone 3-sulfate (DHEAS), a major circulating steroid secreted by the adrenal cortex, as well as estrone 3-sulfate and 17beta-estradiol 17-O-(beta-D-glucuronate) .
PMID:11159893 PMID:12568656 PMID:19129463 PMID:23918469 PMID:25560245 PMID:9539145
Mediates apical uptake of all-trans-retinol (atROL) across human retinal pigment epithelium, which is essential to maintaining the integrity of the visual cycle and thus vision .
PMID:25560245
Involved in the uptake of clinically used drugs .
PMID:17301733 PMID:20686826 PMID:27777271
Capable of thyroid hormone transport (both T3 or 3,3',5'-triiodo-L-thyronine, and T4 or L-tyroxine) .
PMID:19129463 PMID:20358049
Also transports prostaglandin E2 .
PMID:19129463
Plays roles in blood-brain and -cerebrospinal fluid barrier transport of organic anions and signal mediators, and in hormone uptake by neural cells (By similarity). May also play a role in the reuptake of neuropeptides such as substance P/TAC1 and vasoactive intestinal peptide/VIP released from retinal neurons .
PMID:25132355
May play an important role in plasma and tissue distribution of the structurally diverse chemotherapeutic drugs methotrexate and paclitaxel .
PMID:23243220
Shows a pH-sensitive substrate specificity which may be ascribed to the protonation state of the binding site and leads to a stimulation of substrate transport in an acidic microenvironment .
PMID:19129463
Hydrogencarbonate/HCO3(-) acts as the probable counteranion that exchanges for organic anions .
PMID:19129463
May contribute to regulate the transport of organic compounds in testis across the blood-testis-barrier (Probable)
ATC J01FA01
ATC D10AF02
ATC S01AA17
ATC D10AF52
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)
Erythromycin
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
8618
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
8612
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
8609
ChemSpider
12041
BindingDB
50344942
PDB
ERY
ZINC
ZINC000085534336
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4495
GenAtlas
MLNR
GeneCards
MLNR
GenBank Gene Database
AL137000
Guide to Pharmacology
297
UniProt Accession
MTLR_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6251
GenAtlas
KCNH2
GeneCards
KCNH2
GenBank Gene Database
U04270
GenBank Protein Database
487738
Guide to Pharmacology
572
UniProt Accession
KCNH2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2638
GenAtlas
CYP3A5
GeneCards
CYP3A5
GenBank Gene Database
J04813
GenBank Protein Database
181346
Guide to Pharmacology
1338
UniProt Accession
CP3A5_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2637
GenAtlas
CYP3A4
GeneCards
CYP3A4
GenBank Gene Database
M18907
Guide to Pharmacology
1337
UniProt Accession
CP3A4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2640
GeneCards
CYP3A7
GenBank Gene Database
D00408
GenBank Protein Database
220149
UniProt Accession
CP3A7_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10961
GeneCards
SLCO1B3
GenBank Gene Database
AJ251506
GenBank Protein Database
9187497
Guide to Pharmacology
1221
UniProt Accession
SO1B3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:42
GenAtlas
ABCB11
GeneCards
ABCB11
GenBank Gene Database
AF091582
GenBank Protein Database
3873243
Guide to Pharmacology
778
UniProt Accession
ABCBB_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:40
GenAtlas
ABCB1
GeneCards
ABCB1
GenBank Gene Database
M14758
GenBank Protein Database
307180
Guide to Pharmacology
768
UniProt Accession
MDR1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10959
GenAtlas
SLCO1B1
GeneCards
SLCO1B1
GenBank Gene Database
AF060500
GenBank Protein Database
5051630
Guide to Pharmacology
1220
UniProt Accession
SO1B1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:53
GenAtlas
ABCC2
GeneCards
ABCC2
GenBank Gene Database
U63970
GenBank Protein Database
1764162
Guide to Pharmacology
780
UniProt Accession
MRP2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10956
GeneCards
SLCO1A2
GenBank Gene Database
U21943
GenBank Protein Database
885978
Guide to Pharmacology
1219
UniProt Accession
SO1A2_HUMAN
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.
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications: