Discovery and Properties
- Discovered in 1949 by microbiologist Selman Waksman and student Hubert Lechevalier at Rutgers University
- Produced naturally by the bacterium Streptomyces fradiae
- Synthesis requires specific nutrient conditions in either stationary or submerged aerobic conditions
- Isolated and purified from the bacterium
- Neomycin was discovered over 50 years ago
- Neomycin is an antibiotic active against streptomycin-resistant bacteria
- It has been used in pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Neomycin can induce hypersensitivity reactions in some individuals

Medical Uses
- Typically applied topically, such as in Neosporin
- Can be administered orally, often combined with other antibiotics
- Used as a preventive measure for hepatic encephalopathy and hypercholesterolemia
- Effective against streptomycin-resistant bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Used to treat small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

Spectrum
- Excellent activity against gram-negative bacteria
- Partially effective against gram-positive bacteria
- Relatively toxic to humans, with allergic reactions as a common adverse reaction
- Physicians sometimes recommend antibiotic ointments without neomycin
- Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) susceptibility data for medically significant gram-negative bacteria

Side Effects
- Fifth-most-prevalent allergen in patch test results
- Known GABA antagonist, responsible for seizures and psychosis
- Ototoxic, causing tinnitus, hearing loss, and vestibular problems
- Affects the cochlea in the inner ear
- Patients with existing tinnitus or hearing loss should consult a healthcare practitioner

Molecular Biology
- Antibacterial activity through binding to the 30S subunit of the prokaryotic ribosome
- High binding affinity for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2)
- Resistance conferred by kanamycin kinase genes
- Neomycin-resistant bacteria research ongoing
- Biosynthetic pathway and composition of neomycin

Neomycin (Wikipedia)

Neomycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that displays bactericidal activity against gram-negative aerobic bacilli and some anaerobic bacilli where resistance has not yet arisen. It is generally not effective against gram-positive bacilli and anaerobic gram-negative bacilli. Neomycin comes in oral and topical formulations, including creams, ointments, and eyedrops. Neomycin belongs to the aminoglycoside class of antibiotics that contain two or more amino sugars connected by glycosidic bonds.

Neomycin

Clinical data
Trade names	Neo-rx
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
MedlinePlus	a682274
Routes of administration	Topical, oral
ATC code	A01AB08 (WHO) A07AA01 (WHO), B05CA09 (WHO), D06AX04 (WHO), J01GB05 (WHO), R02AB01 (WHO), S01AA03 (WHO), S02AA07 (WHO), S03AA01 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	US: ℞-only but OTC in Neosporin and similar ointments
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	None
Protein binding	N/A
Metabolism	N/A
Elimination half-life	2 to 3 hours
Identifiers
IUPAC name (2RS,3S,4S,5R)-5-Amino-2-(aminomethyl)-6-((2R,3S,4R,5S)-5-((1R,2R,5R,6R)-3,5-diamino-2-((2R,3S,4R,5S)-3-amino-6-(aminomethyl)-4,5-dihydroxytetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yloxy)-6-hydroxycyclohexyloxy)-4-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran-3-yloxy)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-3,4-diol
CAS Number	1404-04-2 Y
PubChem CID	8378
IUPHAR/BPS	709
DrugBank	DB00994 Y
ChemSpider	8075 Y
UNII	I16QD7X297
KEGG	D08260 Y
ChEBI	CHEBI:7508 Y
ChEMBL	ChEMBL449118 N
ECHA InfoCard	100.014.333
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C23H46N6O13
Molar mass	614.650 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
SMILES O([C@H]3[C@H](O[C@@H]2O[C@H](CO)[C@@H](O[C@H]1O[C@@H](CN)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H]1N)[C@H]2O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](N)C[C@@H]3N)[C@H]4O[C@@H]([C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H]4N)CN
InChI InChI=1S/C23H46N6O13/c24-2-7-13(32)15(34)10(28)21(37-7)40-18-6(27)1-5(26)12(31)20(18)42-23-17(36)19(9(4-30)39-23)41-22-11(29)16(35)14(33)8(3-25)38-22/h5-23,30-36H,1-4,24-29H2/t5-,6+,7+,8?,9+,10+,11-,12+,13+,14-,15+,16-,17+,18-,19+,20-,21+,22-,23-/m0/s1 N Key:PGBHMTALBVVCIT-DPNHOFNISA-N N
NY (what is this?)  (verify)

Neomycin was discovered in 1949 by microbiologist Selman Waksman and his student Hubert Lechevalier at Rutgers University. Neomycin received approval for medical use in 1952. Rutgers University was granted the patent for neomycin in 1957.