Neomycin, Polymyxin, Hydrocortisone Ear Drops

Generic name: neomycin sulfate, polymyxin B sulfate and hydrocortisone
Dosage form: otic suspension
Drug class:Otic steroids with anti-infectives

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jul 1, 2020.

Neomycin, Polymyxin, Hydrocortisone Ear Drops Description

Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Hydrocortisone Otic Suspension, USP is a sterile antibacterial and anti-inflammatory suspension for otic use. Each mL contains: neomycin sulfate equivalent to 3.5 mg neomycin base, polymyxin B sulfate equivalent to 10,000 polymyxin B units, and hydrocortisone 10 mg (1%). The vehicle contains thimerosal 0.01% (added as a preservative) and the inactive ingredients cetyl alcohol, propylene glycol, polysorbate 80, and Water for Injection. Sulfuric acid may be added to adjust pH.

Neomycin sulfate is the sulfate salt of neomycin B and C, which are produced by the growth of Streptomyces fradiae Waksman (Fam. Streptomycetaceae). It has a potency equivalent of not less than 600 mcg of neomycin standard per mg, calculated on an anhydrous basis. The structural formulae are:

Polymyxin B sulfate is the sulfate salt of polymyxin B1 and B2, which are produced by the growth of Bacillus polymyxa (Prazmowski) Migula (Fam. Bacillaceae). It has a potency of not less than 6,000 polymyxin B units per mg, calculated on an anhydrous basis. The structural formulae are:

Hydrocortisone, 11β, 17, 21-trihydroxypregn-4-ene-3, 20-dione, is an anti-inflammatory hormone. Its structural formula is:

Neomycin, Polymyxin, Hydrocortisone Ear Drops - Clinical Pharmacology

Corticoids suppress the inflammatory response to a variety of agents and they may delay healing. Since corticoids may inhibit the body's defense mechanism against infection, a concomitant antimicrobial drug may be used when this inhibition is considered to be clinically significant in a particular case.

The anti-infective components in the combination are included to provide action against specific organisms susceptible to them. Neomycin sulfate and polymyxin B sulfate together are considered active against the following microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Haemop...