A pleuromutilin antibiotic for community-acquired pneumonia
Lefamulin
An antibiotic used to treat community-acquired pneumonia (a lung infection), given by drip or as a tablet.
What is Lefamulin?
Lefamulin is a newer antibiotic used to treat community-acquired pneumonia, a lung infection caught outside hospital. It belongs to a class called pleuromutilins and works by stopping bacteria from making the proteins they need to grow. It can be given as a drip into a vein or as a tablet. Key safety points are that it can affect the heart's rhythm (the QT interval), can affect the liver, and can harm an unborn baby, so it must not be used in pregnancy and contraception is needed. It interacts with several other medicines.
Education and reference only. This is a plain-language guide to Lefamulin — it deliberately contains no doses. Doses depend on the person, the brand and the reason for treatment, and belong with your prescriber. Always check the BNF, the product labelling (SmPC) and follow medical advice.
What it is
Lefamulin is a newer antibiotic used to treat community-acquired pneumonia, a lung infection that is caught outside of hospital. It belongs to a group called pleuromutilins, which work in a different way from many common antibiotics, making it a useful option when others are not suitable. It can be given as a drip into a vein, often to start with, and also as a tablet by mouth, which allows people to switch to tablets as they improve. It is used under medical guidance for the right kind of infection.
How it works
Lefamulin kills or stops the growth of bacteria by interfering with the ribosome, the part of a bacterial cell that builds proteins. Without the proteins they need, the bacteria cannot grow and multiply, so the infection clears. Because it acts in a slightly different way from many older antibiotics, bacteria that are resistant to those may still respond to it. The option of starting with a drip and switching to tablets means treatment can continue smoothly as someone recovers.
Company & origin
Originated / developed by: Specialist manufacturer.
A newer antibiotic used in the UK to treat community-acquired pneumonia, available both by drip and as a tablet.
Practical use
How to take Lefamulin
General, dose-free guidance — always follow your prescriber's and the leaflet's specific instructions.
- Take it exactly as prescribed, either as a drip in hospital or as tablets, completing the full course.
- Take the tablets on an empty stomach with water, as advised, and avoid taking them with food unless told otherwise.
- Do not use it if you are or could be pregnant; use effective contraception during treatment.
- Give your prescriber a full list of your medicines, as it interacts with several of them.
- Tell your prescriber about any heart-rhythm problems or liver problems before starting.
Weighing it up
Advantages & disadvantages of Lefamulin
Advantages
- Treats community-acquired pneumonia and works in a different way from many common antibiotics.
- Available both as a drip and as a tablet, allowing a switch to tablets as you improve.
- A useful option when other antibiotics are not suitable.
Disadvantages
- Can affect the heart's rhythm (the QT interval) and can affect the liver.
- Must not be used in pregnancy because it can harm an unborn baby, and contraception is needed.
- Interacts with several other medicines, so careful checking is needed.
Practical use
Good to know
Lefamulin is used for community-acquired pneumonia and offers a different mechanism from many common antibiotics, which can be helpful when others are unsuitable. Three safety points stand out. First, it can affect the heart's electrical rhythm (the QT interval), so it is used with care in people with heart-rhythm problems or on other medicines that do the same. Second, it can affect the liver, so liver tests may be checked. Third, it can harm an unborn baby, so it must not be used in pregnancy and effective contraception is needed during treatment. It also interacts with several other medicines, so a full medicines list is important. As with all antibiotics, finishing the course matters, and any severe or persistent diarrhoea should be reported.
Who should not take it / use with caution
- It must not be used in pregnancy because it can harm an unborn baby.
- People who have had a serious allergic reaction to lefamulin should not take it.
- It is used with caution in people with certain heart-rhythm problems or on medicines that affect the QT interval.
Monitoring
- Checking the heart's rhythm where there is a risk of QT-interval problems.
- Reviewing liver blood tests where appropriate.
- Watching how the pneumonia responds and checking for diarrhoea or other side effects.
Side effects
- Diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting, including, less often, a more serious gut infection (C. difficile).
- Headache, or reactions where the drip is given.
- Less commonly, changes in the heart's rhythm (the QT interval) or in liver blood tests.
Key interactions
- Medicines that affect the heart's QT interval should be reviewed alongside lefamulin.
- It can interact with several other medicines, so give a full list of everything you take.
- Some medicines change how well lefamulin works, so tell your prescriber about all of them.
Available as: A solution given as a drip into a vein, and tablets taken by mouth.
Answers
Lefamulin: frequently asked questions
What is lefamulin used for?
It is an antibiotic used to treat community-acquired pneumonia, a lung infection caught outside hospital, given by drip or as a tablet.
Can I take it in pregnancy?
No. Lefamulin can harm an unborn baby, so it must not be used in pregnancy and effective contraception is needed during treatment.
Does it affect the heart?
It can affect the heart's electrical rhythm (the QT interval), so it is used with care in people with heart-rhythm problems or on similar medicines.
Can I switch from the drip to tablets?
Yes, treatment often starts as a drip and can switch to tablets as you improve, which helps you continue treatment smoothly.
Why does my prescriber need my medicines list?
Lefamulin interacts with several other medicines and with those affecting the heart rhythm, so a full list helps keep treatment safe.
Authoritative sources
- BNF
- NICE CKS
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