sulfamethoxazole + clavulanic acid

Sulfamethoxazole + clavulanic acid is a combination of a sulfonamide antibiotic and a beta-lactamase inhibitor. This specific combination appears to be a misidentification of the common antibiotic pairing amoxicillin + clavulanic acid (co-amoxiclav). Sulfamethoxazole is a bacteriostatic agent that competes with p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) for the enzyme dihydropteroate synthase, thereby inhibiting the synthesis of dihydrofolic acid in bacteria. Clavulanic acid is a suicide inhibitor of beta-lactamase enzymes, which are produced by certain bacteria to confer resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. Mechanistically, clavulanic acid does not provide a therapeutic benefit when paired with sulfamethoxazole, as sulfonamides are not substrates for beta-lactamases. The brand name SAM-CLAV mentioned in the context of SAMI Pharma refers to amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, and no commercial product containing sulfamethoxazole and clavulanic acid is currently recognized in clinical practice.

Other names

sulfamethoxazole and clavulanic acid