TobraDex Ophthalmic Ointment

Generic name: tobramycin and dexamethasone
Dosage form: ophthalmic ointment
Drug class:Ophthalmic steroids with anti-infectives

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on May 1, 2021.

DESCRIPTION: TOBRADEX® (tobramycin and dexamethasone ophthalmic ointment) is a sterile, multiple dose antibiotic and steroid combination for topical ophthalmic use. The chemical structures for tobramycin and dexamethasone are presented below:

Each gram of TOBRADEX® (tobramycin and dexamethasone ophthalmic ointment) contains: Actives: tobramycin 0.3% (3 mg) and dexamethasone 0.1% (1 mg). Preservative: chlorobutanol 0.5%. Inactives: mineral oil and white petrolatum.

CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY: Corticoids suppress the inflammatory response to a variety of agents and they probably delay or slow 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. Dexamethasone is a potent corticoid.

The antibiotic component in the combination (tobramycin) is included to provide action against susceptible organisms. In vitro studies have demonstrated that tobramycin is active against susceptible strains of the following microorganisms:

Staphylococci, including S. aureus and S. epidermidis (coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative), including penicillin-resistant strains.

Streptococci, including some of the Group A-beta-hemolytic species, some nonhemolytic species, and some Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Proteus mirabilis, Morganella morganii, most Proteus vulgaris strains, Haemophilus influenzae and H. aegyptius, Moraxella lacunata, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and s...