Minocycline

Minocycline
Clinical data
Trade namesMinocin, Amzeeq, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa682101
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: D
Routes of
administration
By mouth, intravenous, topical
Drug classAntibiotic; Tetracycline antibiotic
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability90–100%
Protein binding70–75%
MetabolismLiver
Elimination half-life15.5 h (11–26 h)
ExcretionMostly fecal, 10–15% renal
Identifiers
  • (2E,4S,4aR,5aS,12aR)-2-(Amino-hydroxy-methylidene)-4,7-bis(dimethylamino)-10,11,12a-trihydroxy-4a,5,5a,6- tetrahydro-4H-tetracene-1,3,12-trione
CAS Number
PubChem CID
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.226.626
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC23H27N3O7
Molar mass457.483 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
Specific rotation = −166°
Solubility in waterLow
  • CN(C)c1ccc(c2c1C[C@H]3C[C@H]4[C@@H](C(=C(C(=O)[C@]4(C(=C3C2=O)O)O)C(=O)N)O)N(C)C)O
  • InChI=1S/C23H27N3O7/c1-25(2)12-5-6-13(27)15-10(12)7-9-8-11-17(26(3)4)19(29)16(22(24)32)21(31)23(11,33)20(30)14(9)18(15)28/h5-6,9,11,17,27,29-30,33H,7-8H2,1-4H3,(H2,24,32)/t9-,11-,17-,23-/m0/s1 Y
  • Key:DYKFCLLONBREIL-KVUCHLLUSA-N Y
 NY (what is this?)  (verify)

Minocycline, sold under the brand name Minocin among others, is a tetracycline antibiotic medication used to treat a number of bacterial infections such as some occurring in certain forms of pneumonia. It is generally (but not always) less preferred than the tetracycline doxycycline. Minocycline is also used for the treatment of acne and rheumatoid arthritis. It is taken by mouth or applied to the skin.

Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, allergic reactions, and kidney problems. Serious side effects may include anaphylaxis, a lupus-like syndrome, and easy sunburning. Use in the later part of pregnancy may harm the baby and safety during breastfeeding is unclear. It works by decreasing a bacterium's ability to make protein thus stopping its growth.

Minocycline was patented in 1961 and came into commercial use in 1971. It is available as a generic medication. In 2022, it was the 269th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 900,000 prescriptions.