Bacitracin Zinc vs Bacitracin
Bacitracin and zinc bacitracin are two common antibiotics for minor cuts and wound infections.
Bacitracin zinc can be combined with other topical antibiotics (usually Polymyxin B sulfate and Neomycin Sulfate) as an ointment (well-known as Pfizer’s Neosporin).
Bacitracin Zinc Applications
Bacitracin Zinc API is used for the topical treatment of localized skin infections and to prevent wound infections.
Doctors also use bacitracin zinc for Empyema, Infection NOS, Pneumonia, Corticosteroid-responsive Dermatosis, Infection in minor cuts, scrapes, or burns, Inflammatory ocular disease, etc. (It is made into Cortisporin ophthalmic ointment).
Its ointment (Bacitracin Ointment) is used for first aid to help prevent infections from minor cuts, scrapes, or burns.
People use its formulations to treat acne when pimples are infected.
People would combine the ointment with benzoyl peroxide cleansers to kill bacteria that might colonize an injured pimple.
However, the method above does not permanently cure acne.
Some people reported no improvement, or even worsening, after applying it.
There are ophthalmic solutions in non-ointment forms for eye infections.
Its ophthalmic ointments, containing polymyxin B sulfate, also treat superficial infections of the external eye and its adnexa caused by susceptible bacteria.
Bacitracin zinc salt is used in various dosages to prevent infections in small or shallow wounds.
Bacitracin Applications
Bacitracin API is used to manufacture human medicines as a polypeptide antibiotic to treat infections.
Please note that you should use Bacitracin only to treat or prevent infections proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria susceptible to it.
Bacitracin is primarily formulated as an ointment because it can cause kidney damage when taken orally.
Doctors use topical formulations for acute and chronic localized skin infections.
Bacitracin is also used intramuscularly for infantile streptococcal pneumonia and empyema.
It is also available as an OTC ointment (Neosporin Ointment) containing neomycin and polymyxin B.
Its ointment, formulated with neomycin, polymyxin B, and hydrocortisone, is indicated for the treatment of corticosteroid-responsive dermatoses with secondary infection.
People also use it as an aftercare antibiotic for tattoos and circumcision.
Allergy-prone individuals prefer Bacitracin to combination products such as Neosporin because it contains fewer ingredients, reducing the likelihood of an allergic reaction.
Although occasional reports of an allergic cross-reaction with sulfa drugs exist, bacitracin-containing topical preparations are a great alternative to silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene) for patients with a sulfa allergy.
In the field of biochemistry, researchers use it to distinguish Streptococcus pyogenes from other “strep” bacteria. Some S. pyogenes are sensitive to Bacitracin, while others are resistant.
Bacitracin is also used to detect Haemophilus influenzae colonies amongst respiratory flora.
Because H. influenzae is intrinsically resistant to it, colonies would form within the zone of inhibition.
Bacitracin zinc and Bacitracin are produced similarly, but processed differently to get the final products.
Zinc in Bacitracin makes the bacitracin-zinc complex even more stable.
Below, we have listed the main differences between the two.
#1. Stability of As An API
As mentioned above, zinc in the Zinc bacitracin API enhances the stability of the bacitracin peptide when exposed to air and moisture.
Although the Zinc bacitracin API has a shelf life of 3 years when properly stored and sealed, as indicated in our certificate of analysis, this may be different if the package is damaged.
Because bacitracin readily absorbs moisture and decomposes, we add a zinc salt directly to the culture solution to form a more stable zinc complex, zinc bacitracin, when it reaches its highest concentration during fermentation.
Bacitracin zinc is widely used in the feed industry for its inherent properties and is currently the most commonly used antibiotic feed additive.
Compared with bacitracin, bacitracin zinc is more stable.
In a dry state, its potency can be maintained at room temperature for up to 3 years without any change. Its stability is also better in acidic, alkaline, or hot environments.
According to reports, bacitracin zinc stored for 24 months at 40°C only loses 10% of its potency.
However, bacitracin in feces begins to decompose at room temperature in 3 to 6 days, and it decomposes even faster in compost.
#2. Market Demand and Usage Range
Market demand for bacitracin zinc is much bigger than for bacitracin.
On the one hand, bacitracin zinc exists in more ointments and aerosol sprays than bacitracin.
Take famous brands such as Neosporin and Polysporin, for example.
They both contain bacitracin zinc and polymyxin B sulfate, but Neosporin also contains a third ingredient: neomycin sulfate.
Only a few people allergic to neomycin sulfate would need to choose ointments containing only bacitracin.
On the other hand, bacitracin zinc is also widely used in the feed industry.
The amount of antimicrobials used is much greater than in the pharmaceutical industry, not to mention the amount of bacitracin.
#3. Market Prices
Due to a larger production quantity, the cost of bacitracin zinc is lower than that of bacitracin.
You can also check its price below, along with the bacitracin price on our bacitracin page, for comparison.
The price of pharmaceutical-grade Bacitracin zinc is approximately $600 USD/kg, while bacitracin is approximately $700 USD/kg.
The price of bacitracin zinc, used in the food and poultry industry, is even lower.
#3.1 How Much Does Bacitracin Zinc Cost? (Feed Grade, Food Grade, Pharmaceutical Grade)
The price for commercial order quantities of 100 kg or more is approximately $60/kg (60 IU/mg).
The cost in tons is approximately $550 per kilogram.
In 2021, the price of pharma-grade zinc bacitracin decreased to $530 per kilogram due to increased demand and greater production capacity.
The price of feed-grade bacitracin zinc powder is approximately $300 per kilogram. (40IU/MG)
The 15% premix price is approximately USD 3/kg, and the 10% type is USD 2/kg, applicable to commercial order quantities.
For more accurate pricing, please get in touch with us directly.
Please check the export prices from PharmaCompass for your reference below:
As you can see from the import and export prices on PharmaCompass, the highest unit price is USD 1,005/kg for 2 kg imported from Nepal to India, which is plausible given the air shipping costs.
You can also see mainstream prices of USD 534/kg for import quantities over 8 tons.
Our Indian friends often negotiate better offers because of their large buying volumes.
Additionally, we have compiled a price trend from 2012 to the present for your reference, as shown below.
The price trends above show a decline in costs.
It makes sense that as demand increases and costs gradually decrease, the price falls from the highest level, over $800 per kg, to $550 per kg.
Please note that this price is only applicable to commercial orders with quantities exceeding hundreds of kilograms.
If you buy only a few hundred grams, the unit price will be higher.
You can contact us at any time for the latest pricing information.
#3.2 How Much Does Bulk Bacitracin API Cost?
For commercial order quantities, the price of bacitracin API Powder is approximately USD 750/kg, FOB Shanghai/Beijing.
If you only need several kilograms of non-sterile powder for your pharmacy compounding or lab research, our price is approximately $1,100 USD/kg for your reference.
If you need 10 kg for pilot ointment manufacturing, our offer is about $ 950/kg (it is a micronized powder, and the actual volume is huge for 1 kg; PSD is 90% < 20 Microns).
Due to fluctuating raw material costs, bulk powder prices are subject to change. For the latest pricing information, please get in touch with us directly.
To sum it up:
Bacitracin zinc is more stable than bacitracin and has similar production costs and biochemical properties.
Due to the enormous market demand and broader use of bacitracin zinc, its price is slightly lower: $950/kg for bacitracin and $550/kg for bacitracin zinc for quantities over 100 kilograms.
Disclaimer:
This content is for informational purposes only and is intended for business-to-business communication within the pharmaceutical industry. It is not intended as medical advice. The manufacture, import, and use of API must comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the relevant country or region.
This blog post is informational only and does not constitute medical advice.
Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment.
Hi, I apologize for the inconvenience, but I wanted to share this link to provide better context for my question: https://pillintrip.com//medicine/bacitran. I noticed that the page is currently not available, but could you please clarify what is the main difference between Bacitracin (as discussed in the article) and Bacitran? Also, is Bacitran a different formulation or brand of the same antibiotic? Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Stephannie, We supply bacitracin and bacitracin zinc APIs, so we discussed the differences between those two antibiotics. We are not familiar with Bacitran, so we can’t give more info on it.