InhibiZone

InhibiZone is a proprietary antibiotic surface treatment developed by American Medical Systems (now part of Boston Scientific) for use on urological prosthetic devices. It consists of a combination of two small molecule antibiotics, **rifampin** and **minocycline hydrochloride**, which are impregnated into the outer surface of devices such as the AMS 700 inflatable penile prosthesis and the AMS 800 artificial urinary sphincter. Upon implantation, the antibiotics elute from the device to create a zone of inhibition, effectively reducing the risk of postoperative infections caused by common pathogens including methicillin-resistant *Staphylococcus aureus* (MRSA), methicillin-resistant *Staphylococcus epidermidis* (MRSE), vancomycin-resistant *Enterococcus* (VRE), and *Escherichia coli*. It was the first technology of its kind to receive FDA approval (in 2009) based on clinical evidence showing a significant reduction in revision surgery rates due to infection.

Brand names

InhibiZone

Other names

rifampin + minocycline coating