How Clindamycin Phosphate Treats Bacterial Infections?

Bacteria, which are microscopic living organisms having only one cell, have been on our planet for billions of years. While most bacteria aren’t harmful, some bacteria may lead to illnesses and affect several parts of the body. Also, bacteria that can cause harm have evolved to become more resistant to antimicrobial medications over time.

Scientists and researchers globally are constantly developing advanced drugs and medications, such as clindamycin, to ward off bacterial infections. In this blog post, we explain to you the basics of clindamycin phosphate and the conditions it can treat. Also, we shed light on the usage of the medication and detail the top clindamycin phosphate manufacturers.

What is Clindamycin?

Clindamycin is an antibiotic drug used to treat bacterial infections. It is used to treat serious bacterial infections when penicillin is not an option. Clindamycin is typically available as one of the three salts: clindamycin nicotinamide, clindamycin phosphate, or clindamycin hydrochloride. All of these salts are prodrugs. But, after entering the body, they get rapidly converted to active clindamycin by hydrolysis. Also, the three forms of clindamycin carry the same antimicrobial properties and effectiveness. Clindamycin was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1970.

What is Clindamycin Phosphate?

As mentioned earlier, clindamycin phosphate is a salt of clindamycin. It is usually used to make topical or injectable formulations of clindamycin.

• As a prodrug of clindamycin, clindamycin phosphate gets rapidly converted to active clindamycin after it enters the body or when it is applied to the skin.
• Clindamycin phosphate has the same antimicrobial spectrum as the other forms of clindamycin.

What is Clindamycin Phosphate Used to Treat?

Clindamycin phosphate finds applications in the treatment of a wide range of bacterial infections. Also, it plays a crucial role in infection control. Clindamycin phosphate can treat the following infections in adults and children:

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: Clindamycin phosphate is used to treat empyema and pneumonia caused by susceptible anaerobe isolates in children and adults.

Skin and Skin Structure Infections: Susceptible isolates of streptococcus pyogenes and staphylococcus aureus, which may cause skin and skin infections.

Gynecological Infections: Clindamycin phosphate can treat gynecological infections such as pelvic cellulitis, endometritis, and postsurgical vaginal cuff infections.

Septicemia: Septicemia, which is blood poisoning caused by germs such as fungi and bacteria, can be treated with clindamycin phosphate.

Bone and Joint Infections: The clindamycin salt finds applications in the treatment of chronic bone and joint infections. Also, it is used as adjunctive therapy during the surgical treatment of chronic bone and joint infections.

Intra-abdominal Infections: Intra-abdominal infections such as intra-abdominal abscesses and peritonitis are treated using clindamycin phosphate.

How is Clindamycin Phosphate Injection Used?

Clindamycin phosphate injection comes in the form of a liquid and is injected into a vein or muscle for a period of 10 to 40 minutes. It is usually administered two to four times a day. The exact treatment time depends on the patient’s infection type and how well they respond to the medication.

Clindamycin phosphate injection is typically administered in a hospital. In some instances, the patient may be given the medication to use at home. For patients who have been told to use the medication at home, it’s very important to follow the directions. The injection must be taken at exactly the same time every day. Also, it must be taken until the prescription is complete.

Potential Side Effects of Clindamycin Phosphate

One of the potential side effects of clindamycin phosphate is diarrhea. Some individuals may experience diarrhea upon taking clindamycin phosphate. This is because the medication can alter the colon’s bacterial composition and lead to overgrowth of the clostridium difficile bacterium that can cause diarrhea.

Other potential side effects of injectable clindamycin phosphate include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, allergic skin reactions, impeded liver function, bleeding disorders, and arthritis. Individuals using clindamycin lotion or solution may experience skin-related effects like peeling, dryness, oiliness, and itchiness. Besides, clindamycin suppositories may cause the same side effects as injectables.

Clindamycin Phosphate Drug Interactions

Drug interaction may occur when using clindamycin phosphate or other forms of clindamycin. Historically, anesthesiologists believed that the drug may result in delaying the effectiveness of neuromuscular blocking agents. However, recent research studies have shown that the medication may enhance the effect of a blocking agent.

Consuming clindamycin phosphate orally results in the liver enzyme breaking it down inside the body. Stimulation of the enzyme’s function may result in decreased levels of clindamycin. As such, doctors need to monitor for side effects due to drug interactions constantly.

Who Makes Clindamycin Phosphate Injections?

Clindamycin phosphate is made by various manufacturers such as Akorn, Sandoz, Fresenius Kabi, Alvogen, Almaject, Baxter, Sagent, Sinopharm, Pfizer, and Fangming Pharmaceutical Group. These companies focus on strategic developments and new product introductions to cater to the growing market demand. Some of the latest strategic initiatives adopted by these industry players include:

• In August 2024, Pfizer launched its digital health platform, PfizerForAll. According to the company, the platform is designed for patients with chronic health conditions and adults seeking vaccines for different conditions. PfizerForAll aims to initiate better access to managing health and wellness.
• In May 2024, Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd announced that it received FDA approval for the development of five products. These products include Clindamycin Phosphate Topical Gel, Diazepam Injection USP, Selexipag Tablets, Single-Dose Prefilled Syringe, and Binimetinib, Tretinoin Cream USP.

Summary

Clindamycin phosphate is an effective antibiotic injection used to treat a variety of serious bacterial infections. Also, it finds applications in the treatment of acne. However, there are some possible side effects of the medication. As such, healthcare professionals usually weigh the risks and benefits before prescribing the antibiotic to patients.