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)