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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of vancomycin

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vancomycin

Now, through a collaboration with Scripps Research, the library has helped scientists restore the effectiveness of 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

The drug is designed as a more powerful and efficient version of the widely used antibiotic vancomycin.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 11, 2026

This result is particularly intriguing because vancomycin is not used to treat Salmonella since it can't cross the outer membrane.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 13, 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