Rifamycin derivatives 

Rifamycin derivatives are antibiotics that work by binding to and inhibiting the mycobacterial DNA dependent RNA polymerase. These antibiotics are bacteriocidal and therefore extremely effective antituberculosis agents, but resistance can develop rapidly if used as a single agent. They easily penetrate into cells, body fluids and cerebrospinal fluid so can be used against organisms in the extracellular component and those that may be present in cells such as macrophages. Rifamycin antibiotics should be used throughout the course of tuberculosis treatment, which can be between nine months to a year.

The rifamycin group includes the classic rifamycin drugs as well as the rifamycin derivatives rifampicin (or rifampin), rifabutin, rifapentine, rifalazil and rifaximin. Rifamycin, sold under the trade name Aemcolo, is approved in the United States for treatment of travelers’ diarrhea in some circumstances.

Identification. Rifamycin is an antibacterial used to treat traveler’s diarrhea. Rifamycin is the prime member of the rifamycin family which are represented by drugs that are a product of fermentation from the gram-positive bacterium Amycolatopsis mediterranei, also known as Streptomyces mediterranei.