NCIt definition : A combination formulation of the sodium salts of the antibiotic ampicillin and the
beta-lactamase inhibitor sulbactam with antibacterial activity. Ampicillin, a broad-spectrum,
semisynthetic penicillin, binds to and inactivates penicillin-binding proteins (PBP)
located on the inner membrane of the bacterial cell wall, thereby interfering with
the cross-linking of peptidoglycan chains necessary for bacterial cell wall strength
and rigidity. As a result, the cell wall is weakened and the cell lyses. The sulbactam
component irreversibly binds to bacterial beta-lactamase at or near its active site,
thereby interfering with substrate binding and inhibiting bacterial metabolism of
penicillin and cephalosporin beta-lactam antibiotics, effectively extending their
antibiotic spectrum to include many beta-lactam-resistant bacteria.;