gamithromycin

Gamithromycin is a semi-synthetic macrolide antibiotic of the azalide subclass, characterized by a 15-membered lactone ring with an alkylated nitrogen at the 7a-position. It is primarily used in veterinary medicine for the treatment and prevention of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in cattle, as well as respiratory diseases in sheep and pigs. Gamithromycin acts mainly by binding reversibly to the 23S ribosomal RNA within the 50S subunit of prokaryotic ribosomes, thereby inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis and preventing peptide chain elongation. This results in bacteriostatic activity at therapeutic concentrations, though it can be bactericidal at higher concentrations found in lung tissue. The drug demonstrates rapid absorption after subcutaneous administration and achieves high concentrations in lung tissue—the primary site of infection—where it remains effective against key BRD pathogens such as *Mannheimia haemolytica*, *Pasteurella multocida*, *Histophilus somni*, *Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae* (in pigs), and *Haemophilus parasuis* (in pigs). Gamithromycin was developed specifically for veterinary use to address major bacterial causes of respiratory disease[1][2][3][5][6][7][8].

Brand names

Zactran

Other names

gamithromycin