GB645180A - Improvements in or relating to the conditioning of penicillin - Google Patents

Abstract

Penicillin is stabilized by admixture with 1 to 10 per cent by weight of an alkali metal phosphate or pyrophosphate or a mixture thereof, which in aqueous solution has a pH 7.0 to 9.0. Preferred mixtures are (a) mono-and di-sodium phosphates containing between 10 and 50 per cent mono-sodium phosphate, and (b) normal and acid sodium pyrophosphate containing 5 to 40 per cent of the acid pyrophosphate. The penicillin is mixed with the dry salt in a sterile container and diluted with sterile water, glucose or saline solutions prior to use.ALSO:A method of producing stable penicillin preparations for injection in aqueous solution comprises introducing into a receptacle a solution of a buffer salt, evaporating such solution to dryness, dry-sterilizing the said receptacle and its contents and introducing solid penicillin into the sterile receptacle. When dissolved in sterile water, saline or glucose solution, the solution is stable within the normal limits of use, e.g. 4 days. To ensure complete sterility of bottles and the removal of pyrogens, the bottles must be subjected to dry heat at 250 DEG C for 1 hour. Such sterilization precludes the use of buffers such as alkali metal citrates which decompose but may be carried out with alkali metal phosphates or pyrophosphates or mixtures thereof, which give aqueous solutions of pH 7.0 to 9.0. Preferred mixtures are (a) mono- and di-sodium phosphates containing between 10 and 50 per cent of monosodium phosphate and (b) normal and acid sodium pyrophosphates containing between 5 and 40 per cent of the acid pyrophosphate. The mixtures are used in the proportion of 1 to 10 per cent of the weight of the penicillin stabilized.