Cefotaxime

**Semantic type:** Antibiotic|Organic Chemical|Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** A third generation semisynthetic cephalosporin antibiotic with bactericidal activity. Cefotaxime inhibits mucopeptide synthesis by binding to and inactivating penicillin binding proteins thereby interfering with the final transpeptidation step required for cross-linking of peptidoglycan units which are a component of bacterial cell walls. This results in a reduction of cell wall stability and causes cell lysis.

**Synonyms:** - CEFOTAXIME