Penicillin V Potassium (Phenoxymethylpenicillin potassium salt)

Penicillin V is a β-lactam antibiotic that inhibits the growth of bacteria.^1,2,3 In vitro, penicillin V inhibits the growth of clinical isolates of Streptococci (MICs = 0.004-0.008 mg/l) and C. difficile (MICs = 1 to >256 mg/l).^1,2 Penicillin V also inhibits growth of S. aureus in vitro (MIC = 0.016 mg/l) and in vivo in a thigh model of infection in mice.³ It inhibits the growth of S. pyogenes in mice following one or two dose therapy with curative dose (CD₅₀) values of 0.207 and 0.031 mg, respectively.⁴ Penicillin V (100 mg/kg per day, p.o.) prevents experimental acute otitis media in rats when administered prior to infection by pneumococci.⁵ Formulations containing penicillin V have been used to treat bacterial infections of the skin, throat, ear, mouth, and respiratory tract.

1.Kamme, C., and Petersson, A.C.In vitro effect on group A streptococci of loracarbef versus cefadroxil, cefaclor and penicillin VScand. J. Infect. Dis.25(1)37-42(1993) 2.Norén, T., Alriksson, I., Akerlund, T., et al.In vitro susceptibility to 17 antimicrobials of clinical Clostridium difficile isolates collected in 1993-2007 in SwedenClin. Microbiol. Infect.16(8)1104-1110(2010) 3.Overbosch, D., Mattie, H., and Van Furth, R.Comparative pharmacodynamics and clinical pharmacokinetics of phenoxymethylpenicillin and pheneticillinBr. J. Clin. Pharmacol.19(5)657-668(1985) 4.Powell, H.M., and Culbertson, C.G.Effectiveness of phenoxymethyl penicillin V, and sodium penicillin G against hemolytic Streptococcus infection in white miceProc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med.90(1)186-187(1955) 5.Hermansson, A., Prellner, K., and Hellstr?m, S.Prevention of experimental acute otitis media with penicillin VActa Otolaryngol.109(1-2)119-123(1990)