cidofovir vs tobramycin
Side-by-side comparison of cidofovir and tobramycin. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
major Known Drug Interaction
Nephrotoxic agents Concomitant administration of cidofovir injection and agents with nephrotoxic potential [e.g., intravenous aminoglycosides (e.g., tobramycin, gentamicin, and amikacin), amphotericin B, foscarnet, intravenous pentamidine, vancomycin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents] is contraindicated.
Recommendation: Do not use these drugs at the same time. Your doctor must choose a different therapy.
Vistide
Tobi, Nebcin
Cidofovir injection is an antiviral medicine. It is used to treat CMV retinitis, an eye infection, in people with AIDS.
Tobramycin is an antibiotic medicine. It fights serious bacterial infections in your body.
Cidofovir treats CMV retinitis in people who have AIDS. CMV retinitis is an infection in the eye that can cause vision problems. This medicine has not been proven to work for other CMV infections or in people without HIV.
Tobramycin treats serious infections caused by bacteria. This includes infections in the blood, lungs, brain (meningitis), belly, skin, bones, and urinary tract. It is used when other antibiotics might not work or are too harmful.
Cidofovir stops the CMV virus from making copies of itself. It does this by blocking a key enzyme the virus needs to reproduce its DNA. This helps to reduce the amount of virus in your body.
Tobramycin belongs to a class of drugs called aminoglycoside antibiotics. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This helps your body fight off the infection.
- • Kidney problems
- • Lowered white blood cell count
- • Decreased eye pressure
- • Inflammation inside the eye
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Diarrhea
- • Headache
- • Lethargy
No adverse event reports.
- Death 1,666
- Infective Pulmonary Exacerbation Of Cystic Fibrosis 1,559
- Pneumonia 1,450
- Dyspnoea 1,373
- Cystic Fibrosis 1,263
Cidofovir can cause serious kidney damage, possibly leading to death. To reduce this risk, you must receive IV fluids and take probenecid pills with each dose. Your kidney function and white blood cell counts will be checked regularly. This drug can also cause birth defects and cancer, based on animal studies. It is only for treating CMV retinitis in AIDS patients.
Tobramycin can potentially damage your hearing and kidneys. Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems or hearing loss before starting this medicine. Your doctor will monitor your kidney and hearing function during treatment. Report any dizziness, ringing in the ears, or changes in hearing or kidney function to your doctor right away.
Cidofovir may cause harm to an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if cidofovir passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Tobramycin may harm your unborn baby. It is not known if tobramycin passes into breast milk.
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How to Read This cidofovir vs tobramycin Comparison
cidofovir is classified in the Antiviral (Nucleotide Analog) drug class, while tobramycin sits within the Aminoglycoside Antibiotic class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, cidofovir has 0 submissions while tobramycin has 7,311. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known major interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both drugs have the potential to damage your kidneys. taking them together adds to this risk and can lead to kidney failure.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between cidofovir and tobramycin - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.