Altabax
Altabax, the brand name for retapamulin, is a topical antibiotic ointment that's used to treat impetigo, a type of skin infection. The medication is approved for children and children 9 months and older. It's applied directly to the area of the skin infection twice a day for 5 days. Altabax (retapamulin) isn't available as a lower-cost generic and isn't found over the counter. Possible side effects include skin irritation and itching.
What is Altabax (retapamulin)?
What is Altabax (retapamulin) used for?
- Impetigo in people ages 9 months and older
How Altabax (retapamulin) works
Altabax (retapamulin) is a topical antibacterial medication. It stops bacteria from making proteins they need for growth and survival.
Drug facts
Side effects of Altabax (retapamulin)
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Side effects aren't common. Please see Other Side Effects.
Less Common Side Effects
- Itching at the application site
- Skin irritation at the application site
- Eczema
- Headache
- Common cold symptoms
Altabax (retapamulin) serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Severe skin irritation: skin irritation, pain, redness, itching, swelling, blistering, or oozing on the skin that gets worse
The following Altabax (retapamulin) side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common
Burning, itching, redness, skin rash, swelling, or soreness at site
skin rash, encrusted, scaly, and oozing
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Pros and cons of Altabax (retapamulin)
Pros
- Treatment only lasts for 5 days
- Can use to treat impetigo in children as young as 9 months old
- Very few side effects
Cons
- Not for serious skin infections, including impetigo that affects large areas of the body
- Not approved for hard-to-treat skin infections (e.g., skin infected with MRSA)
- Brand-name only; not available as a lower-cost generic
Pharmacist tips for Altabax (retapamulin)
- Apply a thin layer of Altabax (retapamulin) directly on the skin that's affected by impetigo. Don't put the medication into your eyes, mouth, or vagina. Otherwise, it could lead to side effects.
- After you apply Altabax (retapamulin) onto the skin, you can cover it with a bandage or some gauze if you want. This can be helpful to protect the area and to avoid getting the ointment onto other things.
- Use Altabax (retapamulin) exactly as prescribed. Continue using the ointment for the recommended amount of time (usually 5 days), even if your symptoms start to get better sooner. Stopping this medication too early can lead to resistant bacteria, which will be much harder to fight against. Contact your prescriber if your symptoms don't improve after 3 to 4 days.
- Call your prescriber right away if your skin infection doesn't seem to be getting better or if it gets worse. You might need to stop this medication and get treated with a different medication for impetigo.
- Wash your hands well after you apply Altabax (retapamulin) to your skin, unless you're treating the skin on your hands. This helps prevent you from accidentally getting the medication in your eyes. Rinse your eyes well with water for at least 15 minutes if the ointment gets in your eyes.
- Make sure to tell your prescriber if you're pregnant or breastfeeding before you start treatment with Altabax (retapamulin). Discuss the risks and benefits of using this medication with your prescriber.
- Store Altabax (retapamulin) at room temperature in a dry place. Don't freeze the medication since this can damage it.
Common questions about Altabax (retapamulin)
Yes, Altabax (retapamulin) can expire. There should be an expiration date that's written on the medication box or tube of ointment. Don't use Altabax (retapamulin) past the written expiration date because it might not work well to treat your infection.
Altabax (retapamulin) isn't approved to treat acne. In addition, the medication isn't listed as a recommended option in acne treatment guidelines. Although some studies suggest that Altabax (retapamulin) might fight against the typical bacteria that cause acne, there needs to be more research to show that it works well for improving acne (this would be an off-label use of the medication). Talk to your primary care provider or a dermatologist about available treatment options if you have acne.
No, Altabax (retapamulin) doesn't treat ringworm. Ringworm is a fungal infection, so it needs to be treated with topical antifungals like clotrimazole. Antibiotics like Altabax (retapamulin) won't work because they only treat bacterial infections.
Some research suggests that Altabax (retapamulin) might not work well against MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a "superbug" that's typically difficult to treat with antibiotics. In fact, Altabax (retapamulin) isn't FDA approved to treat infections caused by MRSA. Your prescriber will choose a different antibiotic if you have a MRSA skin infection.
You should see improvement within 4 days after you start treatment with Altabax (retapamulin). Talk to your prescriber if your symptoms haven't gotten better after 4 days of treatment. This could mean that your skin infection is caused by a bacteria that Altabax (retapamulin) doesn't work to fight against. There might be a different medication that's more appropriate for your skin infection.
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Risks and warnings for Altabax (retapamulin)
Altabax (retapamulin) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Skin irritation
Skin irritation is a possible side effect of Altabax (retapamulin), but it's rare and it's fairly mild. Wipe off the medication right away if you have severe skin irritation, such as pain, redness, itching, swelling, blistering, or oozing on the skin. Let your prescriber know because you might need a different antibiotic to treat your skin infection.
Development of drug-resistant bacteria
Take Altabax (retapamulin) exactly as prescribed. Treating your skin infection with Altabax (retapamulin) for any shorter or longer periods of time can raise your risk for developing infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. This is also possible if you take Altabax (retapamulin) for other illnesses that it's not appropriate for. Infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria can be severe, life-threatening, and more difficult to treat.
Altabax (retapamulin) dosage
Tube of ointment| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15g of 1% | 1 tube | $365.66 | $365.66 |
| 30g of 1% | 1 tube | $694.02 | $694.02 |
Typical dosage for Altabax (retapamulin)
Apply a thin layer of the ointment to the affected area(s) twice daily for 5 days.
Your prescriber will tell you the maximum amount of Altabax (retapamulin) to use over your body. It'll depend on your body surface area (or body size).
Interactions between Altabax (retapamulin) and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Atazanavir
- Boceprevir
- Clarithromycin
- Cobicistat
- Conivaptan
- Indinavir
- Itraconazole
- Ketoconazole
- Lopinavir
- Nefazodone
- Nelfinavir
- Posaconazole
- Ritonavir
- Saquinavir
- Telaprevir
- Telithromycin
- Tipranavir
- Voriconazole
How much does Altabax (retapamulin) cost?
$365.66
What are alternatives to Altabax (retapamulin)?
