Generic Name: Azithromycin
Brand Name: Azax
Manufacturer: Ranbaxy
Other Brand Names: Zithromax, Zithromax TRI-PAK

Zithromax (Azithromycin) is a semi-synthetic macrolide antibiotic used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections. It is effective against a wide variety of bacteria such as Hemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, mycobacterium avium, and many others. Azithromycin, like all macrolide antibiotics, prevents bacteria from growing by interfering with their ability to make proteins. Due to the differences in the way proteins are made in bacteria and humans, the macrolide antibiotics do not interfere with production of proteins in humans. It is an unusual antibiotic in that it stays in the body for quite a while (has a long half-life), allowing for once a day dosing and for shorter treatment courses for most infections. Zithromax only treats bacterial infections. It will not work for viral infections (e.g., common cold, flu). Unnecessary use or overuse of any antibiotic can lead to its decreased effectiveness