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Bacitracin

FDA approved · Rx

Polypeptide antibiotic

Also known as: Bacitracin Zinc And Polymyxin B Sulfate, Neomycin And Polymyxin B Sulfates And Bacitracin Zinc, Neomycin And Polymyxin B Sulfates, Bacitracin Zinc And Hydrocortisone, Altracin, Fortracin, Bacitracina, Bacitracine, Bacitracinum, Parentracin, Baciim

Evidence score
95/ 100
Strong evidence

Strong, human-grade evidence

  • Regulatory standing. FDA-approved prescription medicine
  • Human trials. Backed by controlled human studies
  • Registered human trials. 55 registered studies on ClinicalTrials.gov, most advanced Phase 4
  • 2 cited sources. Includes primary / regulatory sources

Computed with the same four public criteria as every profile. The human-evidence grade on an indexed profile is set automatically and may change when it is hand-reviewed. It is not a safety score, not a purity rating, and not medical advice, and not a claim that this compound treats, cures, or prevents any condition.

What it is

Bacitracin is a mixture of cyclic polypeptide antibiotics originally isolated from the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. It works by blocking the recycling of a lipid carrier that bacteria need to build their cell walls, which mainly affects gram-positive bacteria. It is used mostly on the skin and eyes, often combined with other antibiotics such as polymyxin B and neomycin.

What the evidence shows

Automatic summaryHuman trials

Bacitracin is FDA approved as a prescription product, including combination products with polymyxin B, neomycin, and hydrocortisone, for treating or preventing certain superficial bacterial infections. It has a long clinical history, with 54 registered human trials reaching Phase 4 and over 4,000 published papers, though its benefit over simpler wound care in some uses remains debated.

Key facts

Molecular formula
C66H103N17O16S
Molecular weight
1422.7 g/mol
FDA approval
Confirmed on openFDA

Registered human trials

Live from ClinicalTrials.gov, refreshed daily.

55registered studies
Phase 4most advanced phase
28completed (sample)
3recruiting (sample)

Clinical Trial to Evaluate Biafine Cream Versus Standard Care in Subjects With Actinic Keratosis Post Cryotherapy

Phase 4CompletedNCT00695578

Prevention of Arrhythmia Device Infection Trial (PADIT Pilot)

Phase 3CompletedNCT01002911

The Use of Medical Grade Honey in the Prevention of Bone Anchored Hearing Aid Associated Skin Breakdown

Phase 4CompletedNCT03929224

Patients Response to Early Switch To Oral:Osteomyelitis Study

Early Phase 1TerminatedNCT02099240

Published literature

Live from Europe PMC. This is how much has been published, not how much is proven in humans.

4,206papers referencing Bacitracin

A global perspective on the use, sales, exposure pathways, occurrence, fate and effects of veterinary antibiotics (VAs) in the environment.

Chemosphere2006

The intestinal microbiota affect central levels of brain-derived neurotropic factor and behavior in mice.

Gastroenterology2011

Metagenomic and network analysis reveal wide distribution and co-occurrence of environmental antibiotic resistance genes.

ISME J2015

Genome sequence of Streptococcus mutans UA159, a cariogenic dental pathogen.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A2002

Sources

Risks, side effects and study doses are only published on hand-reviewed profiles. Want this one reviewed, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.