MINOCIN ® Minocycline

MINOCIN ® is a drug based on minocycline hydrochloride

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Antibiotics for systemic use - Tetracycline

IndicationsAction mechanismStudies and clinical effectiveness Usage and dosage instructionsWarnings Pregnancy and lactationInteractionsContraindicationsUndesirable effects

Indications MINOCIN ® Minocycline

MINOCIN ® is an antibiotic indicated for the treatment of infectious diseases sustained by Gram positive and Gram negative microorganisms sensitive to tetracyclines.

Mechanism of action MINOCIN ® Minocycline

The great therapeutic success of MINOCIN ®, which today makes it one of the most widely used antibiotics in the clinical field in the treatment of infections of various organs and systems, is due to the high therapeutic efficacy of its active principle minocycline.

This molecule, belonging to the second generation tetracycline category, is a semisynthetic derivative characterized by the excellent liposolubility which considerably facilitates its passage through the membranes, optimizing the antibiotic efficacy.

Like the other tetracyclines, the bacteriostatic and bactericidal action of minocycline is carried out through the inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis, guaranteed by the binding of the antibiotic to the 30S ribosomal subunit and by the tRNA's inability to transport amino acids useful for the elongation of peptide chain.

However, different studies have shown the greater efficacy of minocycline compared to other tetracyclines in controlling the growth of Staphylococci, Streptococci, Enterobacteria and some mycobacteria, thus extending the therapeutic indications to the use of MINOCIN ®.

Following rapid intestinal absorption, effective tissue biodistribution and a biological half-life of more than 12 hours, minocycline, in light of its lipophilic nature, is eliminated mainly via the bile.

Studies carried out and clinical efficacy

1 THE MINOCYCLE IN THE TREATMENT OF ACNE VOLGARE

J Dermatol. 2011 Feb; 38 (2): 111-9.

Extensive clinical trial demonstrating how minocycline can be effective in treating acne vulgaris, reducing the number and severity of inflammatory lesions and significantly improving the quality of life of affected patients.

2 . THE MINOCYCLE IN THE TREATMENT OF OSTEOARTICULAR LESIONS

Knee. 2012 Jan 31.

Innovative work that evaluates minocycline not for the antibiotic effect but for the osteo and chondroprotective effect. In fact the results demonstrate how the treatment with minocycline following osteoarticular trauma can increase the number of chondrocytes facilitating the easy recovery of cartilage damage.

3.MINOCYCLE AND OVARIAN CARCINOMA

Gynecol Oncol. 2012 May; 125 (2): 433-40.

Interesting experimental study conducted on cell lines and animal models of ovarian carcinoma that shows how the treatment with minocycline can reduce the growth of these cells by activating the apoptotic process and thus preventing its proliferation.

Method of use and dosage

MINOCIN ®

Hard capsules for oral use from 50 - 100 mg of minocycline.

The definition of the therapeutic scheme could vary significantly from patient to patient based on physio-pathological conditions, the severity of the clinical picture and therapeutic needs.

The standard dosage, generally between 100 and 200 mg daily of minocycline, could be reviewed in patients suffering from hepatic and renal diseases, the significant variations in the pharmacokinetic properties are known.

It is recommended to take MINOCIN ® with plenty of water, maintaining the upright position following the ingestion of the capsule.

Warnings MINOCIN ® Minocycline

Known the chemical and physical characteristics that make minocycline an active ingredient with elevated hepato-renal tropism, it would be advisable to undergo periodic medical checks, designed to evaluate liver and kidney function, during therapy with MINOCIN ®, especially when continued for periods of particularly long time.

For this reason the patient should pay particular attention to the emergence of emerging signs and symptoms, immediately reporting to his doctor the extent of the undesirable effects observed and thus evaluating the possibility of suspending the therapy in progress.

Prolonged use of antibiotics could favor the onset of microbial strains resistant to antibiotic therapy, able to colonize exposed tissues such as the intestinal mucosa and determine the onset of pathologies, including serious ones such as pseudomembranous colitis from clostridum difficile.

Also remember to avoid direct exposure to sunlight following the intake of tetracycline, given the photosensitizing action of the same.

The onset of neurological symptoms such as headache, dizziness and insomnia after taking minocycline could reduce the patient's perceptive capacities, making it dangerous to use machinery and drive vehicles.

PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING

Use MINOCIN ® during pregnancy and in the subsequent period of breastfeeding is generally contraindicated given the ability of minocycline to cross the placental barrier and accumulate in breast milk.

The absence of studies capable of characterizing the safety profile for fetal health of tetracyclines when taken during pregnancy further supports the aforementioned contraindications.

Interactions

In order to limit changes in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of minocycline, particular attention should be paid to the simultaneous assumption of:

Penicillin and beta-lactams, due to the documented and reciprocal interference with the mechanism of action, responsible for reducing the antibiotic efficacy;
Oral anticoagulants, due to the increased bleeding risk associated with antibiotic therapy;
Antacid preparations based on bivalent ions such as magnesium, calcium and aluminum, capable of compromising the therapeutic efficacy of tetracyclines, significantly reducing intestinal absorption;
Oral contraceptives, given the inability to ensure effective birth control.

Contraindications MINOCIN ® Minocycline

The use of MINOCIN ® is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to tetracycline and its excipients, in patients with renal insufficiency, in children under the age of 12 and during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Undesirable effects - Side effects

Monicylcine therapy exposes the patient to different side effects similar to those commonly described for tetracycline therapy.

Gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, hypersensitivity cutaneous manifestations such as erythema, papules and macules, neurological symptoms such as headache, dizziness and exhaustion, haematological changes such as anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and eosinophilia are the most frequently documented adverse reactions in following the recruitment of MINOCIN ®.

Fortunately, the symptoms regress spontaneously once the therapy is suspended.

The use of tetracycline in childhood could facilitate the appearance of enamel hypoplasia and dental dyschromia, while in adulthood it could determine hypercreatininemia and hyperazotemia linked to the catabolic action of these antibiotics.