Sulbactam

Sulbactam

Clinical data
AHFS/Drugs.com	International Drug Names
MedlinePlus	a693021
Routes of administration	Injection
ATC code	J01CG01 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	UK: POM (Prescription only)
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	1
Excretion	Kidneys?
Identifiers
IUPAC name (2S,5R)-3,3-Dimethyl-7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-2-carboxylic acid 4,4-dioxide
CAS Number	68373-14-8 Y
PubChem (CID)	130313
ChemSpider	115306 Y
UNII	S4TF6I2330 Y
KEGG	D08533 Y
ChEBI	CHEBI:9321 Y
ChEMBL	CHEMBL403 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.063.506
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C8H11NO5S
Molar mass	233.243 g/mol
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
SMILES O=S2(=O)C([C@@H](N1C(=O)C[C@H]12)C(=O)O)(C)C
InChI InChI=1S/C8H11NO5S/c1-8(2)6(7(11)12)9-4(10)3-5(9)15(8,13)14/h5-6H,3H2,1-2H3,(H,11,12)/t5-,6+/m1/s1 Y Key:FKENQMMABCRJMK-RITPCOANSA-N Y

Sulbactam is a β-lactamase inhibitor. This drug is given in combination with β-lactam antibiotics to inhibit β-lactamase, an enzyme produced by bacteria that destroys the antibiotics.

Sulbactam is an irreversible inhibitor of β-lactamase; it binds to the enzyme and does not allow it to degrade the antibiotic.

Sulbactam is able to inhibit the most common forms of β-lactamase but is not able to interact with the AmpC cephalosporinase. Thus, it confers little protection against bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, and Serratia, which often express this gene.

In the United States, sulbactam is combined to form cefoperazone/sulbactam and ampicillin/sulbactam. It does possess some antibacterial activity when administered alone, but it is too weak to have any clinical importance. Its use in the UK is restricted to hospitals.

Recently, its use in treating Acinetobacter septicemia is receiving renewed interest.