Penbritin tablets

Metal container of 100 250 mg Penbritin (ampicillin) capsules, Beecham Research Laboratories, Brentford, England, expiry date 30 November 1982

Penbritin was brand name for one of the semi-synthetic penicillins developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s by Beechams, also known as ampicillin. Effective against a broad range of bacteria including E.coli, streptoccocci, it was 5 to 10 times more effective against some bacteria compared to earlier antibiotics.

In 1957, the team at Beecham Research Laboratories discovered that penicillin grown from mould has 6-aminopenicillanic acid. By tweaking its chemical structure, scientists created medicines to treat a wider range of bacterial infections, with fewer side effects. These are known as semi-synthetic penicillins.