Clinical data | |
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Pronunciation | /ˌtɛtrəˈsaɪkliːn/ |
Trade names | Sumycin, others |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a682098 |
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Routes of administration |
By mouth |
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Pharmacokinetic data | |
Bioavailability | 75% |
Metabolism | Not metabolized |
Biological half-life | 8–11 hours, 57–108 hours (kidney impairment) |
Excretion | Urine (>60%), feces |
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ECHA InfoCard | 100.000.438 |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C22H24N2O8 |
Molar mass | 444.435 g/mol |
3D model (JSmol) | |
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Tetracycline, sold under the brand name Sumycin among others, is an antibiotic used to treat a number of infections. This includes acne, cholera, brucellosis, plague, malaria, and syphilis. It is taken by mouth.
Common side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and loss of appetite. Other side effects include poor tooth development if used by children less than eight years of age, kidney problems, and sunburning easily. Use during pregnancy may harm the baby. Tetracycline is in the tetracyclines family of medications. It works by blocking the ability of bacteria to make proteins.
Tetracycline was patented in 1953 and came into commercial use in 1978. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. Tetracycline is available as a generic medication. The wholesale cost in the developing world is about 0.35 to 1.78 USD for a course of treatment. In the United States a course of treatment typically costs less than 25 USD. Tetracycline was originally made from bacteria of the Streptomyces type.
It is first-line therapy for Rocky Mountain spotted fever (Rickettsia), Lyme disease (B. burgdorferi), Q fever (Coxiella), psittacosis, lymphogranuloma venereum (Chlamydia), and Mycoplasma pneumoniae and to eradicate nasal carriage of meningococci. Tetracycline tablets were used in the plague outbreak in India in 1994.