Azithromycin
ZithromaxPubChem CID 447043 · 3D model
Drag to rotate. Scroll or pinch to zoom.
Latches onto bacteria's protein-building machinery and jams it, so the bacteria can't make the proteins they need to grow and multiply.
How it works
Azithromycin attaches to a key part of the machinery bacteria use to build proteins — their ribosome — and jams it. Without working protein production, bacteria can't grow, repair themselves, or multiply. The drug also builds up inside cells and tissues and lingers there for days, which is why a short course (like a Z-Pak) keeps fighting the infection long after the last pill. With the bacteria's growth stopped, the body's own immune system can finish clearing the infection.
What it’s used for
Used to treat common bacterial infections including pneumonia caught outside a hospital, sinus infections, bronchitis flare-ups, strep throat, skin infections, ear infections in children, and certain sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, gonorrhea-related cervicitis, and chancroid), as well as pelvic infections in women.
- Mechanism
- Inhibits 50S ribosomal subunit
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- Antibiotic