From the Research
Sulfonamide and Penicillin
- Sulfonamide compounds, also known as sulfa drugs, are a significant class of synthetic bacteriostatic antimicrobials and were the primary source of therapy against bacterial infections before the introduction of penicillin in 1941 1, 2.
- Penicillin is not primarily made with sulfonamide (sulfa), as sulfonamides are a different class of antimicrobials 1, 2.
Sulfonamide Hybrids and Derivatives
- Hybridization of sulfonamides with various pharmaceutically active heterocyclic moieties leads to sulfonamide hybrids with a wide variety of biological activities 1.
- Sulfonamide compounds are also used in the development of other drugs, such as diuretics, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, and antiepileptics 2.
Cross-Reactivity between Sulfonamide Medications
- There is no documentation for cross-reactivity between sulfonamide antimicrobials and other sulfonamide medications, such as celecoxib 3, 4.
- The risk of allergic reactions to sulfonamide nonantibiotics is lower among patients with a history of hypersensitivity to sulfonamide antibiotics than among patients with a history of hypersensitivity to penicillins 4.