Quick answers
- What is Penicillin g benzathine used for?
- The FDA-approved label (Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, July 21, 2026) says: “To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of Bicillin L-A and other antibacterial drugs, Bicillin L-A should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy. …” This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.
- What are the side effects of Penicillin g benzathine?
- The “Adverse Reactions” section of the FDA label (Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, July 21, 2026) begins: “As with other penicillins, untoward reactions of the sensitivity phenomena are likely to occur, particularly in individuals who have previously demonstrated hypersensitivity to penicillins or in those with a history of allergy, asthma, hay fever, or urticaria. As with other treatments for syphilis, the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction has been reported.” … This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.
- What are the drug interactions of Penicillin g benzathine?
- The “Drug Interactions” section of the FDA label (Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, July 21, 2026) begins: “Tetracycline, a bacteriostatic antibiotic, may antagonize the bactericidal effect of penicillin, and concurrent use of these drugs should be avoided. Concurrent administration of penicillin and probenecid increases and prolongs serum penicillin levels by decreasing the apparent volume of distribution and slowing the rate of excretion by competitively inhibiting renal tubular secretion of penicillin.” This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.
- Does Penicillin g benzathine have a boxed warning?
- Yes. The FDA label for Bicillin L-A has a boxed warning, the FDA’s strongest warning. Read it on the full label and ask your pharmacist.
- Is there a shortage of Penicillin g benzathine?
- The FDA drug shortage list shows “Current shortage” for a product of this medicine (updated October 21, 2026). Ask your pharmacist about alternatives.
- Has Penicillin g benzathine been recalled?
- FDA enforcement reports list 2 recalls of products of this medicine; the newest started July 10, 2025 (Class II). A recall usually concerns specific lots, not every product.
- Who makes Penicillin g benzathine?
- 2 companies list prescription products of Penicillin g benzathine in the FDA NDC Directory, including Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc and A-S Medication Solutions.
What Penicillin g benzathine is used for
Quoted from the “Indications and Usage” section of the FDA-approved label.
To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of Bicillin L-A and other antibacterial drugs, Bicillin L-A should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy. …
— FDA label: Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective July 21, 2026. Read the full label on DailyMed →
Label quoted: the one for the most common form (injection, suspension, intramuscular), Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc; it covers 3 products in the FDA NDC Directory. The side effects, interactions, dosage and pregnancy quotes below come from this same label.
The FDA has 2 labels for products of this medicine (different makers and forms); uses can differ between them. Check the label that comes with your own medicine.
This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.
Boxed warning
A boxed warning (“black box”) is the FDA’s strongest warning on a drug label, for serious or life-threatening risks.
This label has a boxed warning. Read it on the full label →
2 of 2 FDA labels for this medicine have a boxed warning.
Penicillin g benzathine boxed warning: what the label says
Quoted from the boxed warning of the FDA-approved label.
WARNING NOT FOR INTRAVENOUS USE. DO NOT INJECT INTRAVENOUSLY OR ADMIX WITH OTHER INTRAVENOUS SOLUTIONS. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF INADVERTENT INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF PENICILLIN G BENZATHINE WHICH HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH CARDIORESPIRATORY ARREST AND DEATH. Prior to administration of this drug, carefully read the WARNINGS, ADVERSE REACTIONS, and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION sections of the labeling. WARNING NOT FOR INTRAVENOUS USE.
Read more of this section
DO NOT INJECT INTRAVENOUSLY OR ADMIX WITH OTHER INTRAVENOUS SOLUTIONS. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF INADVERTENT INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF PENICILLIN G BENZATHINE WHICH HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH CARDIORESPIRATORY ARREST AND DEATH. Prior to administration of this drug, carefully read the WARNINGS, ADVERSE REACTIONS, and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION sections of the labeling.
— FDA label: Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective July 21, 2026. Read the full label on DailyMed →
Penicillin g benzathine side effects
Quoted from the “Adverse Reactions” section of the FDA-approved label. Tell your doctor about any side effect that worries you.
As with other penicillins, untoward reactions of the sensitivity phenomena are likely to occur, particularly in individuals who have previously demonstrated hypersensitivity to penicillins or in those with a history of allergy, asthma, hay fever, or urticaria. As with other treatments for syphilis, the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction has been reported.
Read more of this section
The following adverse reactions have been reported with Bicillin L-A during post-marketing experience: Skin and Appendages: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). (See WARNINGS.) Immune System Disorders: Acute myocardial ischemia with or without myocardial infarction occurring as part of an allergic reaction. The following have been reported with parenteral penicillin G (the active moiety in Bicillin L-A): General: Hypersensitivity reactions including the following: skin eruptions (maculopapular to exfoliative dermatitis), urticaria, laryngeal edema, fever, eosinophilia; other serum sickness-like reactions (including chills, fever, edema, arthralgia, and prostration); and anaphylaxis including shock and death: severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR), such as toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP). (See WARNINGS.) Note: Urticaria, other skin rashes, and serum sickness-like reactions may be controlled with antihistamines and, if necessary, systemic corticosteroids. Whenever such reactions occur, penicillin G should be discontinued unless, in the opinion of the physician, the condition being treated is life-threatening and amenable only to therapy with penicillin G. Serious anaphylactic reactions require immediate emergency treatment with epinephrine. Oxygen, intravenous steroids, and airway management, including intubation, should also be administered as indicated. Gastrointestinal: Pseudomembranous colitis. Onset of pseudomembranous colitis symptoms may occur during or after antibacterial treatment. (See WARNINGS section.) Hematologic: Hemolytic anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia. Neurologic: Neuropathy. Urogenital: Nephropathy. The following adverse events have been temporally associated with parenteral administration of penicillin G benzathine (a component of Bicillin L-A): Body as a Whole: Hypersensitivity reactions including allergic vasculitis, pruritus, fatigue, asthenia, and pain; aggravation of existing disorder; headache, Nicolau syndrome. Cardiovascular: Cardiac arrest; hypotension; tachycardia; palpitations; pulmonary hypertension; pulmonary embolism; vasodilation; vasovagal reaction; cerebrovascular accident; syncope. Gastrointestinal: Nausea, vomiting; blood in stool; intestinal necrosis. Hemic and Lymphatic: Lymphadenopathy. Injection Site: Injection site reactions including pain, inflammation, lump, abscess, necrosis, edema, hemorrhage, cellulitis, hypersensitivity, atrophy, ecchymosis, and skin ulcer. Neurovascular reactions including warmth, vasospasm, pallor, mottling, gangrene, numbness of the extremities, cyanosis of the extremities, and neurovascular damage. Metabolic: Elevated BUN, creatinine, and SGOT.
— FDA label: Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective July 21, 2026. This is part of the section. Read the full label on DailyMed →
Penicillin g benzathine drug interactions
Quoted from the “Drug Interactions” section of the FDA-approved label. Tell your pharmacist about every medicine, vitamin and herbal product you take.
Tetracycline, a bacteriostatic antibiotic, may antagonize the bactericidal effect of penicillin, and concurrent use of these drugs should be avoided. Concurrent administration of penicillin and probenecid increases and prolongs serum penicillin levels by decreasing the apparent volume of distribution and slowing the rate of excretion by competitively inhibiting renal tubular secretion of penicillin.
— FDA label: Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective July 21, 2026. Read the full label on DailyMed →
Penicillin g benzathine dosage
Quoted from the “Dosage and Administration” section of the FDA-approved label. Your own dose is the one your doctor prescribes: do not change it on your own.
Streptococcal (Group A) Upper Respiratory Infections (for example, pharyngitis) Adults—a single injection of 1,200,000 units; older pediatric patients—a single injection of 900,000 units; infants and pediatric patients under 60 lbs.—300,000 to 600,000 units. Syphilis Primary, secondary, and latent—2,400,000 units (1 dose). Late (tertiary and neurosyphilis)—2,400,000 units at 7-day intervals for three doses.
Read more of this section
Congenital—under 2 years of age: 50,000 units/kg/body weight; ages 2 to 12 years: adjust dosage based on adult dosage schedule. Yaws, Bejel, and Pinta —1,200,000 units (1 injection). Prophylaxis —for rheumatic fever and glomerulonephritis. Following an acute attack, penicillin G benzathine (parenteral) may be given in doses of 1,200,000 units once a month or 600,000 units every 2 weeks. METHOD OF ADMINISTRATION BICILLIN L-A IS INTENDED FOR INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION ONLY. DO NOT INJECT INTO OR NEAR AN ARTERY OR NERVE, OR INTRAVENOUSLY OR ADMIX WITH OTHER INTRAVENOUS SOLUTIONS. (SEE WARNINGS SECTION.) Administer by DEEP INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION in the upper, outer quadrant of the buttock (dorsogluteal) or the ventrogluteal site. In neonates, infants and small children, the midlateral aspect of the thigh may be preferable. Administration in the anterolateral thigh is not recommended due to the adverse effects observed (see WARNINGS section), and vascularity of this region. When doses are repeated, vary the injection site. Because of the high concentration of suspended material in this product, the needle may be blocked if the injection is not made at a slow, steady rate. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration whenever solution and container permit.
— FDA label: Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective July 21, 2026. Read the full label on DailyMed →
Penicillin g benzathine in pregnancy
Quoted from the pregnancy part of the FDA-approved label. Ask your doctor before you take any medicine while pregnant or planning a pregnancy.
Teratogenic effects Pregnancy Reproduction studies performed in the mouse, rat, and rabbit have revealed no evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the fetus due to penicillin G. Human experience with the penicillins during pregnancy has not shown any positive evidence of adverse effects on the fetus. There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women showing conclusively that harmful effects of these drugs on the fetus can be excluded.
Read more of this section
Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, this drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.
— FDA label: Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective July 21, 2026. Read the full label on DailyMed →
Penicillin g benzathine and breastfeeding
Quoted from the nursing mothers / lactation part of the FDA-approved label.
Soluble penicillin G (the hydrolysate of penicillin G benzathine) is excreted in breast milk. Caution should be exercised when penicillin G benzathine is administered to a nursing woman.
— FDA label: Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective July 21, 2026. Read the full label on DailyMed →
When Penicillin g benzathine should not be used
Quoted from the “Contraindications” section of the FDA-approved label.
A history of a previous hypersensitivity reaction to any of the penicillins is a contraindication.
— FDA label: Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective July 21, 2026. Read the full label on DailyMed →
Penicillin g benzathine overdose
Quoted from the “Overdosage” section of the FDA-approved label. If someone may have taken too much, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (or 911 in an emergency).
Penicillin in overdosage has the potential to cause neuromuscular hyperirritability or convulsive seizures.
— FDA label: Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective July 21, 2026. Read the full label on DailyMed →
Forms and how it is given
| Dosage forms | Injection, suspension |
|---|---|
| Route | Intramuscular |
| Prescription products | 4 in the FDA NDC Directory |
| Brand names | Bicillin L-A |
Companies that list this medicine
Labelers in the FDA NDC Directory: the company named on the package (maker or distributor), with the number of prescription products.
- Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc3 products
- A-S Medication Solutions1 product
FDA approval history
- NDA: New Drug Application: how a new (usually brand-name) medicine is approved.
| Application | Sponsor | Approved | Later changes approved |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDA050141 BICILLIN L-A | King Pharms LLC | June 27, 1952 | 220, latest June 25, 2026 2026: Labeling · 2026: Labeling · 2021: Manufacturing (CMC) |
Shortage status
Current shortage · updated October 21, 2026 · first posted April 26, 2023
| Product | Bicillin L-A, Injection, 600000 [iU]/1 mL (NDC 60793-700-10) |
|---|---|
| Availability | Unavailable |
| Reason given | Other |
| Company | Pfizer Inc. |
Ask your pharmacist whether your product is affected and what the options are.
Recalls
From FDA enforcement reports, matched by the product’s NDC code. A recall usually covers specific lots only: check the lot number on your package and ask your pharmacist. Do not stop a medicine on your own.
-
July 10, 2025 · Class II · Ongoing · D-0545-2025
CGMP Deviations; particulates identified during visual inspection
Bicillin L-A (penicillin G benzathine injectable suspension), 2,400,000 units per 4 mL, 4ml-vial, Rx Only, Distributed by Pfizer Inc., New York, NY 10001, Made in Austria, Carton NDC- 60793-702-10 , Syringe NDC-60793-702 — Pfizer Inc.
-
July 10, 2025 · Class II · Ongoing · D-0544-2025
CGMP Deviations; particulates identified during visual inspection
Bicillin L-A (penicllin G benzathine injectable suspension), 1,200,000 units per 2 mL, 2 mL-vial, Rx Only, Distributed by Pfizer Inc., New York, NY 10001. Made in Austria, Carton NDC - 60793-701-10, Syringe NDC - 60793-7 — Pfizer Inc.
What do the recall classes mean?
Class I: The most serious type: there is a reasonable chance that using the product will cause serious health problems or death.
Class II: Using the product may cause temporary or medically reversible health problems, or the chance of serious problems is remote.
Class III: Using the product is not likely to cause health problems (for example a labeling or packaging issue).
Official identifiers
Next steps
- Find a pharmacy near youAsk which price applies to you and whether your product is affected by a recall
- Latest FDA drug recallsAll medicines, newest first
- Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer IncMaker or distributor
- A-S Medication SolutionsMaker or distributor
- All prescription drugs A to ZSearch by generic, brand or Spanish name
Sources
- FDA-approved label on DailyMed (National Library of Medicine) — Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective July 21, 2026; via openFDA, FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- NDC Directory (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drugs@FDA (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drug recall enforcement reports (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 27, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drug shortages (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
openFDA data is provided by the FDA as is; it may be incomplete. Always rely on the label that comes with your medicine. FDA Enforcement Report search →