NCIt definition : The sulfate salt of amikacin, a broad-spectrum semi-synthetic aminoglycoside antibiotic,
derived from kanamycin with antimicrobial property. Amikacin irreversibly binds to
the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit, specifically in contact with 16S rRNA and S12
protein within the 30S subunit. This leads to interference with translational initiation
complex and misreading of mRNA, thereby hampering protein synthesis and resulting
in bactericidal effect. This agent is usually used in short-term treatment of serious
infections due to susceptible strains of Gram-negative bacteria.;