Forphenicinol (Synonyms: Forfenimex)

Forphenicinol is an immunomodulator and a derivative of the bacterial metabolite forphenicine .¹ It increases the phagocytosis of yeast by peritoneal macrophages isolated from thioglycolate-stimulated mice. Forphenicinol (100 µg/animal) prevents cyclophosphamide-induced suppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), as well as enhances DTH in response to the hapten oxazolone or sheep red blood cells in mice. It enhances the bactericidal activity of macrophages against P. aeruginosa in mice when administered at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg.² Forphenicinol (15.6-1,000 µg/animal) increases survival in a mouse model of P. aeruginosa infection.³ It also inhibits tumor growth in S180 sarcoma and IMC carcinoma mouse xenograft models when administered at doses ranging from 0.05 to 5 mg/kg per day.

1.Ishizuka, M., Ishizeki, S., Masuda, T., et al.Studies on effects of forphenicinol on immune responsesJ. Antibiot. (Tokyo)35(8)1042-1048(1982) 2.Naito, K., Arakawa, H., Watanabe, Y., et al.Protective effect of forphenicinol, a low molecular weight immunomodifier, against infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mice and its mechanismsJ. Antibiot. (Tokyo)40(4)547-545(1987) 3.Ishizuka, M., Masuda, T., Kanbayashi, N., et al.Antitumor effect of forphenicinol, a low molecular weight immunomodifier, on murine transplantable tumors and microbial infectionsJ. Antibiot. (Tokyo)35(8)1049-1054(1982)