vancomycin

American  

[vang-kuh-mahy-sin, van-] / ˌvæŋ kəˈmaɪ sɪn, ˌvæn- /

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a bactericidal antibiotic, C 66 H 75 ClN 9 O 24 , produced by Streptomyces orientalis, used in the treatment of antibiotic-associated colitis and endocarditis.

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vancomycin British  

/ ˌvænkəʊˈmaɪsɪn /

noun

1. an antibiotic effective against most Gram-positive organisms. It is given by intravenous infusions for serious infections that are resistant to other antibiotics

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Etymology

Origin of vancomycin

First recorded in 1956; vanco- (of unexplained origin) + -mycin

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vancomycin

Both pathogens can develop resistance and become "superbugs" that evade frontline drugs such as vancomycin.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026

The researchers examined how resistant each strain was to 16 commonly used antibiotics, including ampicillin combined with sulbactam, meropenem, tetracycline, and vancomycin.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

Since vancomycin is often a "last-resort" treatment for these infections, this result is a particularly hopeful sign for addressing VRE, which the WHO lists as a high-priority pathogen.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2025

"We found reduced vancomycin susceptibility in C. difficile was associated with lower 30-day sustained clinical response and lower 14-day initial cure rates in the studied patient cohort," said Gonzales-Luna.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 25, 2024

The specific antibiotic they're tracking is vancomycin, which is used as a last line of defense to treat severe bacterial infections, said Alex Downs, a Jill Hruby Fellow and project lead.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2023