Rifaximin

Uncommon card · No. 184752

Rifaximin, sold under the brand name Xifaxan among others, is a non-absorbable, broad-spectrum antibiotic mainly used to treat travelers' diarrhea. It is based on the rifamycin antibiotics family. Since its approval in Italy in 1987, it has been licensed in more than 30 countries for the treatment of a variety of non-infectious gastrointestinal diseases like irritable bowel syndrome and hepatic encephalopathy. It acts by inhibiting RNA synthesis in susceptible bacteria by binding to the RNA polymerase enzyme. This binding blocks translocation, which stops transcription. It was developed by Salix Pharmaceuticals.

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