Besifloxacin

FDA label, Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc., ophthalmic, effective 2026-01-12. Full label on DailyMed

Patient handout

Looking up MedlinePlus…

From MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine

Quoted from the FDA label. Product labels differ by manufacturer and change over time; confirm against the label for the product you are using.

Quinolone Antimicrobial

Dosing in kidney impairment

This label has no separate kidney-impairment dosing section. Check warnings and clinical pharmacology in the full label.

Contraindications

None. None. ( 4 )

Safety data

Reported adverse events (FAERS)

Loading
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System via openFDA

Liver injury (LiverTox)

LiverTox has no chapter for besifloxacin. Check the label's hepatic warnings.

Pregnancy and lactation

Pregnancy

8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no available human data for the use of besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension during pregnancy to inform any drug-associated risks; however, systemic exposure to besifloxacin from ocular administration is low [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3 )] . Oral administration of besifloxacin to pregnant rats during organogenesis or during the prenatal and postnatal period did not produce adverse embryofetal or offspring effects at clinically relevant systemic exposures [see Data ] .

Data Animal Data In an embryofetal development study in rats, the administration of besifloxacin at oral doses up to 1,000 mg/kg/day during organogenesis was not associated with visceral or skeletal malformations in rat fetuses, although this dose was associated with maternal toxicity (reduced body weight gain and food consumption) and maternal mortality. Increased post-implantation loss, decreased fetal body weights, and decreased fetal ossification were also observed. At this dose, the mean C max in the rat dams was approximately 20 mcg/mL, approximately 46,500 times the mean plasma concentrations measured in humans at the recommended human ophthalmic dose (RHOD).

The No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) for this embryofetal development study was 100 mg/kg/day (C max , 5 mcg/mL, approximately 11,600 times the mean plasma concentrations measured in humans at the RHOD). In a prenatal and postnatal development study in rats, the NOAELs for both fetal/neonate and maternal toxicity were 100 mg/kg/day. At 1,000 mg/kg/day, pups weighed significantly less than controls and had a reduced neonatal survival rate.

Attainment of developmental landmarks and sexual maturation was delayed, although surviving pups from this dose group that were reared to maturity did not demonstrate deficits in behavior, including activity, learning and memory, and their reproductive capacity appeared normal.

Breastfeeding (LactMed)

Maternal use of besifloxacin eye drops presents negligible risk for the nursing infant. To substantially diminish the amount of drug that reaches the breastmilk after using eye drops, place pressure over the tear duct by the corner of the eye for 1 minute or more, then remove the excess solution with an absorbent tissue.

Alternatives LactMed suggests considering:
Source: LactMed: Besifloxacin (NICHD, public domain)Revised Dec 3, 2018

Supply and cost

Drug shortage status

Loading

Recalls (last 24 months)

Loading

Therapeutic equivalence (Orange Book)

Loading

Price ladder

Not the price at the counter
Loading

These are not what a patient pays at the pharmacy counter. They are what pharmacies, health plans, and government buyers pay, before manufacturer rebates. A patient's cost depends on their insurance (copay, coinsurance, or deductible) or the pharmacy's cash price.

Products and NDCs

Loading

Recruiting clinical trials

Loading