Last update Sept. 30, 2023

Rifabutin

Likely Compatibility

Fairly safe. Mild or unlikely adverse effects. Compatible under certain circumstances. Follow-up recommended. Read Commentary.

Rifabutin is an antibiotic of the rifamycin family used to treat Mycobacterium avium complex disease in HIV patients. It is also used for the treatment of other nontuberculous mycobacterial infections. Oral administration in a daily dose.

At the time of the last update, we found no published data on its excretion in breast milk.

Its pharmacokinetic data (moderately high molecular weight and moderately high percentage of binding to plasma proteins) make it unlikely to pass into breast milk in clinically significant quantities.

Its low oral bioavailability makes it difficult for it to pass into infant plasma from ingested breast milk, except in premature infants and the immediate neonatal period in which there may be greater intestinal permeability.

Expert authors consider maternal latency compatible in mothers taking rifabutin. (Blumberg 2003, Anon 2003, CDC 2003)

It can stain body fluids red, including breast milk.

Alternatives

  • Azithromycin (Safe product and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Clarithromycin (Safe product and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Rifampicine (Safe product and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)

Suggestions made at e-lactancia are done by APILAM team of health professionals, and are based on updated scientific publications. It is not intended to replace the relationship you have with your doctor but to compound it. The pharmaceutical industry contraindicates breastfeeding, mistakenly and without scientific reasons, in most of the drug data sheets.

Jose Maria Paricio, Founder & President of APILAM/e-Lactancia

Your contribution is essential for this service to continue to exist. We need the generosity of people like you who believe in the benefits of breastfeeding.

Thank you for helping to protect and promote breastfeeding.

José María Paricio, founder of e-lactancia.
DONATE NOW

Other names

Rifabutin is also known as


Rifabutin in other languages or writings:

  • ριφαβουτίνη (Greek)
  • ريفابوتين (Arabic)
  • Рифабутин (Cyrillic)
  • 利福布汀 (Chinese)
  • リファブチン (Japanese)
  • 9S,12E,14S,15R,16S,17R,18R,19R,20S,21S,22E,24Z)-6,16,18,20-Tetrahydroxy-1′-isobutyl-14-methoxy-7,9,15,17,19,21,25-heptamethylspiro[9,4-(epoxypentadeca[1,11,13]trienimino)-2H-furo-[2′,3′:7,8]naphth[1,2-d]imidazole-2,4′-piperidine]-5,10,26-(3H,9H)-trione-16-acetate (Chemical name)
  • C46H62N4O11 (Molecular formula)
  • J04AB04 (ATC Code/s)

Group

Rifabutin belongs to this group or family:

Tradenames

Main tradenames from several countries containing Rifabutin in its composition:

Pharmacokinetics

Variable Value Unit
Oral Bioavail. 20 %
Molecular weight 847 daltons
Protein Binding 70 - 85 %
pKa 6.93 -
Tmax 2 - 4 hours
T½ 45 ± 17 hours

References

  1. ATC. Blumberg HM, Burman WJ, Chaisson RE, Daley CL, Etkind SC, Friedman LN, Fujiwara P, Grzemska M, Hopewell PC, Iseman MD, Jasmer RM, Koppaka V, Menzies RI, O'Brien RJ, Reves RR, Reichman LB, Simone PM, Starke JR, Vernon AA; American Thoracic Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Infectious Diseases Society. American Thoracic Society/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Infectious Diseases Society of America: treatment of tuberculosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003 Abstract Full text (link to original source) Full text (in our servers)
  2. American Thoracic Society.; CDC.; Infectious Diseases Society of America.. Treatment of tuberculosis. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2003 Jun 20;52(RR-11):1-77. No abstract available. Erratum in: MMWR Recomm Rep. 2005 Jan 7;53(51):1203. Dosage error in article text. Abstract Full text (link to original source)
  3. CDC. (American Thoracic Society); CDC; Infectious Diseases Society of America. Treatment of tuberculosis. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2003 Abstract Full text (link to original source) Full text (in our servers)

Total visits

4,539

Help us improve this entry

How to cite this entry

Do you need more information or did not found what you were looking for?

   Write us at elactancia.org@gmail.com

e-lactancia is a resource recommended by La Liga de la Leche, España of Spain

Would you like to recommend the use of e-lactancia? Write to us at corporate mail of APILAM