Clindamycin and lincomycin

These antibiotics are active against Gram positive cocci and against many anaerobes (including Bacteroides). They have however only a few specific indications because of their serious side-effects.

Clindamycin has largely replaced lincomycin because it is better absorbed and more active.

Lincosamides act by interfering with the process of peptide elongation in bacterial protein synthesis, with a similar binding site to erythromycin.