Cefpodoxime: Uses, Dose, Side Effects and Top Brands in India (2026)

• Updated 9 October 2026
• Reviewed by Sudhanshu Singhal
• 25 min read
• 47 sources

Examples of listed brands in India at a glance

All the MRPs above were read from 1mg.com and PharmEasy listings on 9 October 2026; 1mg states that MRP may vary by batch, and MRPs change over time and between listings. A note on the sources used here: the medical facts come from the US FDA labels on DailyMed, the South African SAHPRA product information, Indian ICMR guidelines and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, MedlinePlus patient information and manufacturer product information. CDSCO-approved package inserts for the individual Indian brands could not be retrieved in the sources reviewed, so brand-specific claims should always be checked against the approved insert inside the pack.

What is cefpodoxime proxetil (alone and with clavulanic acid or ofloxacin)?

Cefpodoxime proxetil is an oral, extended-spectrum, semi-synthetic antibiotic of the cephalosporin class, described in reviews as an oral third-generation cephalosporin. In plain words, it is a tablet or an oral suspension (prepared by mixing dry granules with water) taken by mouth, and it belongs to the same broad beta-lactam family as the penicillin-type drugs.

It works by killing bacteria. The label describes it as bactericidal, acting through inhibition of bacterial cell-wall synthesis, and it keeps its activity in the presence of some beta-lactamases (penicillinases and cephalosporinases). Cefpodoxime proxetil is a prodrug: it is absorbed from the gut and then converted into the active substance, cefpodoxime, so all label doses are expressed as cefpodoxime activity.

About 50% of a 100 mg dose is absorbed in fasting subjects, the level in blood peaks in about 2 to 3 hours, and the half-life is 2.09 to 2.84 hours in people with normal kidneys. Roughly 29 to 33% of the dose leaves the body unchanged in urine within 12 hours, and metabolism is minimal. The label lists these bacteria as susceptible in clinical infections: methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, S. saprophyticus, Streptococcus pneumoniae (excluding penicillin-resistant strains), S. pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Haemophilus influenzae including beta-lactamase producers, Moraxella catarrhalis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. An Indian paediatric review states that it is active against most Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria except Pseudomonas, B. fragilis and Enterococcus.

Forms and strengths sold in India

Indian listings and labels show tablets, dry suspensions and fixed-dose combinations, in these strengths:

• Cefpodoxime 100 mg and 200 mg tablets, commonly 10 tablets per strip
• Dry suspensions of 50 mg/5 ml and 100 mg/5 ml, usually 30 ml bottles (the US label lists granules for oral suspension in the same strengths after mixing)
• Cefpodoxime 200 mg + clavulanic acid 125 mg tablets; dry suspension cefpodoxime 100 mg + clavulanic acid 62.5 mg per 5 ml
• A dispersible tablet of cefpodoxime 100 mg + clavulanic acid 62.5 mg (Torrent ALTIPOD CV 100 product information)
• Cefpodoxime 200 mg + ofloxacin 200 mg tablets

What the combination partners add

Clavulanic acid (given as potassium clavulanate) is a beta-lactamase inhibitor. The amoxicillin-clavulanate US label describes it as a beta-lactam structurally related to the penicillins that inactivates a wide range of beta-lactamases by blocking their active sites, particularly the plasmid-mediated enzymes that cause transferred resistance to penicillins and cephalosporins; in the Indian cefpodoxime combination product information it is described as the beta-lactamase inhibitor partner of cefpodoxime. This is a description of how the substance works, not a statement of approved uses for any Indian combination brand.

Ofloxacin is a different class of antibiotic, a fluoroquinolone described as a synthetic broad-spectrum antimicrobial, and it acts by inhibiting bacterial topoisomerase IV and DNA gyrase, enzymes needed for bacterial DNA replication and repair. No CDSCO approval rationale and no manufacturer package insert for the cefpodoxime 200 mg + ofloxacin 200 mg tablet could be retrieved in the sources reviewed, so no approved use can be stated here for that fixed-dose combination; the uses, doses and safety information for cefpodoxime and for ofloxacin on this page come from each drug's own label and are not a statement of what the combination tablet is approved for.

One naming trap is worth knowing: the letter "O" in a brand name does not always mean ofloxacin. Monocef-O 200 contains cefpodoxime 200 mg only, Monocef-O CV is cefpodoxime with clavulanic acid, and Cepodem-O and Microcef-O are cefpodoxime with ofloxacin.

What is cefpodoxime used for?

Cefpodoxime is indicated for mild to moderate infections caused by susceptible strains of the named bacteria, and the approved list differs slightly between regulators. The FDA label for the tablets lists nine conditions: acute otitis media; pharyngitis and/or tonsillitis caused by Streptococcus pyogenes; community-acquired pneumonia; acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis; acute uncomplicated urethral and cervical gonorrhoea; acute uncomplicated ano-rectal gonorrhoea in women; uncomplicated skin and skin-structure infections; acute maxillary sinusitis; and uncomplicated urinary tract infection (cystitis).

The FDA label also sets limits. The data do not support use for pharyngeal gonorrhoea, efficacy in men with rectal gonorrhoea is not established, and the data are insufficient for chronic bronchitis exacerbations caused by beta-lactamase-producing H. influenzae. Only penicillin given by intramuscular injection has been shown to prevent rheumatic fever, and data for cefpodoxime for that purpose are not available. For cystitis the label asks prescribers to weigh its lower bacterial eradication rates against other classes. For skin infections, successful treatment was dose-related and needed the higher 400 mg twice-daily regimen, and abscesses should be drained surgically.

The South African regulator SAHPRA, in its final product information of 29 November 2022, lists adult short-term treatment of upper and lower respiratory tract infections only: acute sinusitis, pharyngitis and tonsillitis (Groups A, C, G streptococci), acute bronchitis and exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, and bacterial and community-acquired pneumonia. The same label says cefpodoxime is not a preferred antibiotic for staphylococcal pneumonia, is not for atypical pneumonia (Legionella, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia) and is not recommended for pneumonia due to S. pneumoniae.

In India, the ICMR Treatment Guidelines for Antimicrobial Use in Common Syndromes (2nd edition, 2019) list cefpodoxime as an alternative, not a first-line, drug for bacterial sinusitis in adults, for acute otitis media, and for outpatients with community-acquired pneumonia; preferred agents in those rows are amoxicillin or co-amoxiclav. The same guidelines state that acute bronchitis is predominantly viral and antibiotics are not indicated even if sputum is purulent.

For the combination with clavulanic acid, the Torrent product information for cefpodoxime 200 mg + clavulanic acid 125 mg — a manufacturer document, not a CDSCO document — states indications in infections caused by susceptible organisms affecting the lower and upper respiratory tract, uncomplicated skin infection and urinary tract infection; the dispersible tablet insert lists indications beginning with lower and upper respiratory infections and urinary tract infection. For the combination with ofloxacin, no approved indication text was retrievable, so no indication is stated here for that fixed-dose combination; the indications described above are those of cefpodoxime alone, and the ofloxacin label's own indications describe ofloxacin alone.

Cefpodoxime does not treat viral infections: the label states that antibacterial drugs do not treat viral infections such as the common cold, and MedlinePlus states it will not work for colds, flu or other viral infections. The label also advises using it only for infections proven or strongly suspected to be bacterial, because prescribing otherwise is unlikely to help and increases resistance. No off-label uses are described on this page.

Dose as stated in the labels

The dose depends on the infection, the age and body weight of the patient, and kidney function, and every course must be taken exactly as prescribed by a doctor. The figures below are the usual adult dose stated in the label and the child regimens stated in the label; they are information only, not personal advice.

Adults and adolescents 12 years and older (FDA label, tablets taken with food)

The SAHPRA label gives adult doses of 100 mg every 12 hours with meals for tonsillitis, pharyngitis and acute bronchitis (at least 10 days of therapy) and 200 mg every 12 hours with meals for acute sinusitis, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. In India, the ICMR 2019 guidelines give an adult dose of 200 mg twice daily and a paediatric dose of 5 mg/kg twice daily.

Infants and children (FDA oral suspension label)

• Acute otitis media: 5 mg/kg every 12 hours, maximum 200 mg per dose, for 5 days
• Pharyngitis/tonsillitis: 5 mg/kg every 12 hours, maximum 100 mg per dose, for 5 to 10 days
• Acute maxillary sinusitis: 5 mg/kg every 12 hours, maximum 200 mg per dose, for 10 days
• Safety and efficacy in infants under 2 months have not been established

Timing, food and the mixed suspension

Tablets should be taken with food to improve absorption; with a 200 mg tablet, food raised the total exposure by 21 to 33% and the mean peak level from 2.6 to 3.1 mcg/mL. The oral suspension may be given with or without food. MedlinePlus advises taking doses at about the same times each day, finishing the full prescription, and taking a missed dose as soon as remembered unless the next dose is nearly due, never doubling a dose. Once mixed, the suspension is kept in a refrigerator at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, shaken well before each use, used within 14 days, and the remainder discarded after that.

Kidneys, liver and older age

The FDA label lengthens the dosing interval to every 24 hours if creatinine clearance is below 30 mL/min, and for patients on haemodialysis gives the dose three times a week after dialysis. No dose change is needed in cirrhosis, or in elderly patients with normal kidney function. The SAHPRA label uses different cut-offs: no change above 40 mL/min, half the daily dose once daily for 10 to 39 mL/min, every second day below 10 mL/min, and dosing after each dialysis session.

Combination products

For cefpodoxime + clavulanic acid, the Torrent insert states that the dose is based on the cefpodoxime component, that the tablet is taken with food and swallowed whole — not chewed, broken or crushed — and that the regimens mirror the FDA cefpodoxime table. The same insert says the tablets may be given to children aged 8 years or above, and that an alternative product should be used below 8 years. For ofloxacin alone, the FDA label gives 200 mg to 400 mg every 12 hours depending on the infection, and it may be taken without regard to meals.

No approved insert for the cefpodoxime 200 mg + ofloxacin 200 mg tablet was found in the sources reviewed, so no dose is stated here for that combination. For information only, simple arithmetic from the two labels shows that one 200 mg + 200 mg tablet twice daily would give 400 mg per day of each drug; that equals the ofloxacin label dose for urinary infections and is half the ofloxacin label dose (800 mg per day) for chronic bronchitis exacerbation, pneumonia and skin infections. This is arithmetic, not a statement from any label, and the dose of any combination must be decided by the doctor from the pack of the brand prescribed.

Side effects

Diarrhoea was the most frequent side effect in the US trials, while severe allergy and C. difficile diarrhoea need urgent medical help. In multiple-dose US trials in 4,696 patients, events considered possibly or probably drug-related were diarrhoea 7% (10.4% at 800 mg per day versus 5.7% at 200 mg per day), nausea 3.3%, abdominal pain 1.2%, headache 1%, vaginal fungal infections 1% and vulvovaginal infections 1.3%; 2.7% of patients stopped the drug because of adverse events.

Less often, at under 1%, the label lists vomiting, dizziness, rash, urticaria, itching, taste change, dry mouth, constipation, insomnia and somnolence. In children on the suspension (2,128 patients), diarrhoea occurred in 6% overall and 12.8% in infants and toddlers aged 1 month to 2 years, diaper or fungal skin rash in 2% (8.5% in that youngest group), other skin rashes in 1.8%, and 1.1% stopped because of drug-related events.

Serious reactions that need urgent medical help

• Severe allergic reactions: cross-hypersensitivity among beta-lactams may occur in up to 10% of patients with a history of penicillin allergy; the drug must be stopped if an allergic reaction occurs, and serious reactions may need adrenaline and emergency care
• Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhoea (CDAD, formerly called Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea), ranging from mild diarrhoea to fatal colitis, which can appear even two or more months after the last dose
• Post-marketing serious events listed in the label: Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, erythema multiforme, serum-sickness-like reactions, pseudomembranous colitis, anaphylactic shock, acute liver injury, purpuric nephritis and pulmonary infiltrate with eosinophilia
• Seizures have occurred with cephalosporins, particularly in kidney impairment when the dose was not reduced

MedlinePlus tells patients to call the doctor for watery or bloody stools, stomach cramps or fever during treatment or up to two months after it, and for rash, hives or trouble breathing or swallowing.

Side effects of the partner drugs

The following rates come from the amoxicillin-clavulanate US label, which is a different product, and they are not rates for cefpodoxime + clavulanic acid: diarrhoea or loose stools 9%, nausea 3%, skin rash and urticaria 3%, vomiting 1% and vaginitis 1%. That label also records hepatic dysfunction, including hepatitis and cholestatic jaundice, associated with amoxicillin-clavulanate; the Torrent cefpodoxime + clavulanate insert separately warns that clavulanic acid with penicillins has been linked to cholestatic jaundice and acute hepatitis, particularly in men and people over 65.

The ofloxacin label carries a boxed warning for disabling and potentially irreversible serious reactions that can occur together: tendinitis and tendon rupture, peripheral neuropathy and central nervous system effects, and worsening of muscle weakness in myasthenia gravis (avoid in a known history). Tendon risk is higher over 60 years of age, with corticosteroids, and in kidney, heart or lung transplant patients, and tendon rupture can occur up to several months after treatment. The boxed warning is not a complete safety summary: the same label also warns about seizures, psychiatric reactions, photosensitivity (avoid sun and tanning beds), low or high blood sugar especially in diabetics on insulin or tablets, QT prolongation and torsade de pointes, aortic aneurysm and dissection risk, severe liver injury, hypersensitivity that often appears after the first dose, and C. difficile diarrhoea. Because of these serious reactions, the ofloxacin label says to reserve ofloxacin for acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and for uncomplicated cystitis only in patients who have no alternative treatment options; that restriction concerns ofloxacin itself and does not establish approved uses for the cefpodoxime + ofloxacin combination.

Who should not take it, and interactions

Cefpodoxime is contraindicated in anyone with a known allergy to cefpodoxime or to the cephalosporin group, and several common medicines lower its absorption. The Torrent insert for cefpodoxime + clavulanic acid states that the combination is contraindicated in known allergy to penicillin, any other beta-lactam, cephalosporins, beta-lactamase inhibitors or any excipient, and that it is not recommended in hepatic impairment. Separately, the amoxicillin-clavulanate US label — a different product — advises not using amoxicillin-clavulanate after cholestatic jaundice or liver dysfunction caused by that product.

The SAHPRA cefpodoxime tablet label (South Africa) lists further restrictions in its own text: a previous immediate or severe reaction (anaphylaxis) to penicillin or other beta-lactam, children below 1 year, and pregnancy and lactation where safety has not been established. These are restrictions stated in that South African label for cefpodoxime tablets; they are not confirmed restrictions of Indian brands or of the combination products, and the approved insert in your pack is the one that applies.

Key interactions

• Antacids (sodium bicarbonate, aluminium hydroxide) and H2 blockers reduce peak blood levels by 24 to 42% and the extent of absorption by 27 to 32%; the SAHPRA label advises taking them 2 to 3 hours after cefpodoxime
• Probenecid reduces the kidney excretion of cefpodoxime, raising total exposure by about 31% and peak level by about 20%
• Anticholinergic drugs such as propantheline delay the peak level without changing total absorption
• Nephrotoxic drugs and strong diuretics need kidney function monitoring and caution
• Oral anticoagulants: the SAHPRA label advises frequent INR monitoring during and shortly after the course
• MedlinePlus states cefpodoxime may reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives and advises another method of contraception
• If the tablet contains ofloxacin, antacids with calcium, magnesium or aluminium, sucralfate, iron, zinc or multivitamins must not be taken within 2 hours before or after the dose

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

In pregnancy, the FDA label states there are no adequate, well-controlled studies in pregnant women and the medicine should be used only if clearly needed; it has not been studied in labour and delivery. In breastfeeding, cefpodoxime passes into human milk — in three women, milk levels were 0%, 2% and 6% of the serum level four hours after a 200 mg dose — and the decision is whether to stop nursing or stop the drug. For ofloxacin, safety and efficacy in pregnant and lactating women are not established.

Rules in India

In India cefpodoxime is a prescription antibiotic, listed in Schedule H and, in the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules text consolidated up to 31 December 2016, also in Schedule H1; clavulanic acid and ofloxacin appear in Schedule H but not in the H1 list. Later amendments to Schedule H1 after 2016 were not checked against the Gazette in the sources reviewed, while a Press Information Bureau release of 10 February 2023 still states that antibiotics are included in Schedules H and H1 and are sold only on a registered medical practitioner's prescription.

• Rule 65(h): the supply of a Schedule H1 drug must be entered in a separate register at the time of supply, with the prescriber's name and address, the patient's name, the drug name and the quantity; records are kept for three years and are open to inspection
• Rule 97: the pack must carry the Rx symbol in red at the top left, plus a red-bordered box reading "SCHEDULE H1 DRUG - WARNING. It is dangerous to take this preparation except in accordance with the medical advice. Not to be sold by retail without the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner."

NLEM 2022 and prices

Cefpodoxime is not listed in the National List of Essential Medicines 2022, launched on 13 September 2022 with 384 medicines. The NLEM 2022 antibacterial section lists cefixime, cefuroxime, cefadroxil, cefazolin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone and amoxicillin + clavulanic acid, but no entry for cefpodoxime exists, and neither cefpodoxime + clavulanic acid nor cefpodoxime + ofloxacin is listed; ofloxacin was deleted from the list at the 2015 revision.

No NPPA ceiling price for cefpodoxime, alone or in combination, was found in the sources reviewed. From its absence in NLEM 2022 it can be inferred that it is not a scheduled formulation, although the NPPA price list itself was not checked; under DPCO 2013, manufacturers must not raise the MRP of a non-scheduled formulation by more than 10% during the preceding 12 months.

WHO AWaRe and the Red Line campaign

WHO places cefpodoxime in the Watch group of the AWaRe classification, with the note that it is classified for monitoring purposes but is not listed as a WHO essential medicine. WHO's text says Watch antibiotics have a higher potential to favour the emergence and spread of resistance and should be used only when Access antibiotics are not suitable; ofloxacin and cefixime are also in the Watch group, while amoxicillin + clavulanic acid is in the Access group.

The Red Line campaign of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare urges people not to use medicines marked with a red vertical line, including antibiotics, without a doctor's prescription; a WHO South-East Asia document records that the campaign was launched in February 2016 to help limit over-the-counter sale of antibiotics.

Examples of listed brands in India

The table at the top of this page lists Indian brands of cefpodoxime, alone and with clavulanic acid or ofloxacin, that appear repeatedly in e-pharmacy listings, with the pack and the MRP shown there. No published sales ranking for these brands was located in the sources reviewed, so no brand is called a best-seller or number one here; the brands simply appear repeatedly as listed substitutes of each other on 1mg pages, and no comparison of one brand against another is implied.

Prices differ between websites and even between batches of the same brand: one brand had separate listings at ₹189, ₹205 and ₹210.95 for the same pack. Always check the batch price at the time of purchase.

The Vibcare range

Vibcare's cefpodoxime range covers 31 products in 7 compositions across the Auspin, Evermed, Medanor and Prima divisions: cefpodoxime 100 mg and 200 mg tablets, 50 mg/5 ml and 100 mg/5 ml dry suspensions, cefpodoxime with clavulanic acid in tablet and dry suspension forms, and cefpodoxime 200 mg + ofloxacin 200 mg tablets, sold under the Cefdojem, Cefdolam, Cefponor and Odoxicef names. Full details of packs and prices are in the Vibcare product range.

This range is available to PCD franchise partners district by district, with monopoly rights confirmed in writing.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Related reading

• Amoxicillin and potassium clavulanate: uses and brands
• Cold tablets in India: what they contain
• PCD pharma franchise with Vibcare
• Browse the Vibcare product range