Florfenicol

Florfenicol (marketed by Schering-Plough Animal Health under the brand name Nuflor) is a fluorinated synthetic analog of thiamphenicol,^[1] mainly used as a antibiotic in veterinary medicine.

Florfenicol

Clinical data
Trade names	Nuflor
Other names	2,2-dichloro-N-((1R,2S)-3-fluoro-1-hydroxy-1-(4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl)propan-2-yl)ethanamide
AHFS/Drugs.com	International Drug Names
Routes of administration	Intramuscular, subcutaneous
ATCvet code	QJ01BA90 (WHO) QJ51BA90 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only) US: ℞-only
Identifiers
IUPAC name 2,2-dichloro-N-[(1R,2S)-3-fluoro-1-hydroxy-1-(4-methanesulfonylphenyl)propan-2-yl]acetamide
CAS Number	73231-34-2 N
PubChem CID	114811
ChemSpider	102776 Y
UNII	9J97307Y1H
KEGG	D04194 Y
ChEBI	CHEBI:87185 N
ChEMBL	ChEMBL1241590 N
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID9045500
ECHA InfoCard	100.170.898
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C12H14Cl2FNO4S
Molar mass	358.21 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
SMILES ClC(Cl)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@H](O)c1ccc(cc1)S(=O)(=O)C)CF
InChI InChI=1S/C12H14Cl2FNO4S/c1-21(19,20)8-4-2-7(3-5-8)10(17)9(6-15)16-12(18)11(13)14/h2-5,9-11,17H,6H2,1H3,(H,16,18)/t9-,10-/m1/s1 Y Key:AYIRNRDRBQJXIF-NXEZZACHSA-N Y
NY (what is this?)  (verify)

Florfenicol is available a generic medication.^[2]

Veterinary uses

In the United States, florfenicol is indicated for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somni, for treatment of bovine interdigital phlegmon (foot rot, acute interdigital necrobacillosis, infectious pododermatitis) associated with Fusobacterium necrophorum and Prevotella melaninogenica.

In swine, it is indicated for the treatment of respiratory infections caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Glaesserella parasuis, P. multocida, and Streptococcus suis.

Florfenicol is also used in aquaculture, and is licensed for use in the United States for the control of enteric septicemia in catfish.^[3]

Since the early 2000s, it has been used in the Europe Union,^[4] treating mainly primary or secondary colibacillosis in broiler^[5] and parent flocks.

The use of florfenicol in horses, and likely in other equids, typically causes diarrhea. This has been anecdotally reported to progress to lethal cases of acute colitis. Therefore, use of this antimicrobial in the equine patient should be limited to cases in which other, safer, options are not available.^[6]

In November 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Paqflor (florfenicol), the first generic florfenicol drug for controlling mortality in certain species of freshwater-reared fish.^[7] Paqflor contains the same active ingredient (florfenicol) as the approved brand name drug product, Aquaflor, which was first approved in October 2005.^[7] In addition, the FDA determined that Paqflor contains no inactive ingredients that may significantly affect the bioavailability of the active ingredient.^[7] Paqflor is indicated for freshwater-reared salmonids: for the control of mortality due to furunculosis associated with Aeromonas salmonicida. For the control of mortality due to coldwater disease associated with Flavobacterium psychrophilum; freshwater-reared finfish: for the control of mortality due to columnaris disease associated with Flavobacterium columnare; catfish: for the control of mortality due to enteric septicemia of catfish associated with Edwardsiella ictaluri; freshwater-reared warmwater finfish: for the control of mortality due to streptococcal septicemia associated with Streptococcus iniae.^[8][9]

Contamination

Florfenicol was among the drug contaminants in a brand of supermarket eggs in Taiwan and Iran.^[10]