Some active derivatives of penicillin.

The antibacterial activities of a number of amide derivatives of penicillin against both penicillin-sensitive and penicillin-resistant cultures were determined. Several of them were found to possess significant inhibitory activity against certain gram-positive bacteria. The amides, although resistant to the destructive action of beta-lactamase, did not protect G in competitive experiments. One derivative, the O-benzylhydroxamide of penicillin G, was active against six or eight penicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (minimal inhibitory concentration, 0.2 mug/ml or less), but was found to have only a minimal in vivo activity against mouse Streptococcus infections.