Triacetyloleandomycin—a Substitute for Penicillin G

In this paper we wish to report for the first time observations which indicate that, in the treatment of βhemolytic streptococcal infections in children, triacetyloleandomycin (Cyclamycin) is an excellent substitute for penicillin and superior to erythromycin propionate (Ilosone). Although penicillin has been considered the drug of choice against these organisms 1 (and still is in our opinion), we should examine new agents to determine if they may be either more effective for general use or at least equally effective for patients allergic to penicillin. In this search for effective substitutes for penicillin 2 promising new preparations of erythromycin and oleandomycin were subjected to a controlled clinical trial in the treatment of these infections in children. They were erythromycin propionate (Ilosone) and triacetyloleandomycin (Cyclamycin). These 2 new antibiotic agents had, in in vitro tests, been shown to be effective against the β-hemolytic streptococcus, and, in the sera of volunteers, to give