Vancomycin
A glycopeptide antibiotic with separate systemic and intestinal formulations.
- Evidence grade
- AStrong Clinical Evidence
Strong Clinical Evidence
- Regulatory status
- FDA Approved for Specific Indication
FDA-approved products have route-specific indications, including serious susceptible infections for IV formulations and C difficile diarrhea for certain oral formulations.
- Human data
- Yes
Registered clinical trials exist
- Last reviewed
- October 27, 2026
Overview
A glycopeptide antibiotic with separate systemic and intestinal formulations.
FDA-approved products have route-specific indications, including serious susceptible infections for IV formulations and C difficile diarrhea for certain oral formulations.
Oral products do not provide equivalent systemic treatment; intravenous and oral indications cannot be interchanged.
Why It's Being Studied
- Gram-positive infection
- C difficile intestinal infection
- Cell-wall synthesis
Mechanism of Action
Binding D-Ala-D-Ala cell-wall precursors inhibits susceptible bacterial cell-wall synthesis.
Binding D-Ala-D-Ala cell-wall precursors inhibits susceptible bacterial cell-wall synthesis. Oral products do not provide equivalent systemic treatment; intravenous and oral indications cannot be interchanged.
From molecular target to clinical evidence
Tap each stage to see what happens.
Background: Clinical Peptide Medicines
Clinical peptide medicines include endocrine treatments, antimicrobial drugs, receptor blockers and targeted diagnostic or cancer agents. They do not share one mechanism or one set of indications.
An approval belongs to a specific medicine and indication. A diagnostic tracer, an antibiotic and a hormone are not interchangeable wellness products; read each profile's own mechanism and prescribing source.
Research Areas & Routes Studied
- Gram-positive infection
- C difficile intestinal infection
- Cell-wall synthesis
- Intravenous approved products
- Oral approved products
Evidence Summary
Human antibacterial evidence supports serious susceptible systemic infections and distinct oral intestinal indications.
Higher tiers carry more weight. Filled tiers have evidence for Vancomycin; tap to read it.
- Human antibacterial evidence supports serious susceptible systemic infections and distinct oral intestinal indications.
1 cited sources.
- Prescribing label1
Human clinical evidence
- Human antibacterial evidence supports serious susceptible systemic infections and distinct oral intestinal indications.
Reported Adverse Events in Research
- Kidney toxicity, infusion reactions, ototoxicity and antimicrobial resistance are important risks.
Limitations of Current Evidence
- Oral products do not provide equivalent systemic treatment; intravenous and oral indications cannot be interchanged.
- Findings apply to the product, route and population studied; they do not establish benefits or safety for unrelated wellness uses or research-vial products.
How to Read This Research
- Is this a single molecule or a family of medicines?
- Is the use diagnostic, therapeutic or investigational?
- Does the quoted outcome match the exact product, formulation and population?
- Use the compound-specific mechanism above; this diagram describes drug development, not a shared biological pathway.
- Historical approval, present availability and off-label use are distinct questions.
- For radiopharmaceuticals and hospital medicines, specialist handling is part of the treatment context.
- Indication
- The condition and population for which a medicine is approved.
- Antagonist
- A compound that blocks activity at a receptor.
- Radiopharmaceutical
- A medicine containing a radioactive isotope for imaging or treatment.
Compare With Other Compounds
| Vancomycin | Trofinetide | |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence grade | A — Strong Clinical Evidence | B — Moderate Human Evidence |
| Regulatory status | FDA Approved for Specific Indication | FDA Approved for Specific Indication |
| Human data | Yes | Yes |
| Clinical trials | Registered trials exist | Registered trials exist |
| Research routes | Intravenous approved products, Oral approved products | Oral approved medicine |
| Cited sources | 1 | 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Research References
- Prescribing label
Vancomycin — prescribing label