Cross-sensitivity within the neomycin group of antibiotics

Neomycin sensitive patients were tested for hypersensitivity to kanamycin, gentamycin, tobramycin, spectinomycin and to the new, not yet registered sisomycin and netilmicin. Cross-sensitivity occured in a considerable part of the patients, except for spectinomycin, the structure of which is basically different from that of the other aminoglycosides tested. The common occurence of cross-sensitivity between neomycin and other aminoglycoside antibiotics shows that it is possible to predict cross-sensitivity between a new drug and an old sensitizing one before clinical reactions from the new drug have occured. Such an investigation should be performed before adopting new antibiotics.