Soframycin Cream

Soframycin Cream is a framycetin sulphate 1% w/w antibiotic cream from India, sold for infected cuts, wounds, minor burns and bacterial skin infections such as impetigo. Framycetin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic closely related to neomycin. Soframycin was a Sanofi India brand; Encube Ethicals agreed to buy it for India and Sri Lanka in 2021, and the current Indian listings on Tata 1mg, Apollo Pharmacy, PharmEasy and Truemeds name Encube Ethicals as the marketer. Indian pharmacies sell it in 30 g and 100 g tubes. We sell it in packs of 3, 6 and 12 tubes, from $3.00 a tube in the 12 pack before shipping.

Please read this before you order. In our view most small cuts and grazes heal without an antibiotic cream. The guidance we found is about surgical wounds: NICE says do not use topical antimicrobials on surgical wounds healing by primary intention, and the American Academy of Dermatology advises against routine topical antibiotics on surgical wounds. Framycetin is not one of the creams NICE lists for impetigo. Framycetin labels in other countries (the New Zealand and UK ear/eye drop labels and a Canadian framycetin dressing label) warn about hearing loss when aminoglycosides are applied to open wounds or damaged skin, especially large areas; we found no Indian label for this cream. Our delivery takes 7 to 14 business days, so in our view a wound or skin infection you have now should be treated with what a local pharmacist or doctor can give you, and nobody needs 12 tubes at home.

Soframycin Cream at a glance

Price per tube

Prices below are as of October 2026; the pack selector shows the current price.

All three packs are under the $149 free shipping threshold, so every order pays the flat $25 shipping; on the 3 and 6 packs the shipping costs more than the cream itself. If each tube is 30 g, the cream costs $0.10 to $0.12 a gram before shipping and $0.17 to $0.40 a gram with shipping (our arithmetic). In India the listed maximum retail price is Rs 53.53 for the 30 g tube (PharmEasy, Truemeds, Tata 1mg) and about Rs 178 for the 100 g tube (Apollo, Truemeds).

No label gives a number of grams per course. A thin layer on a small cut or graze, 2 to 3 times a day for a few days, uses a small part of one 30 g tube, so in our estimate even the 3 pack is at least two tubes more than one episode needs, and the 12 pack (about 360 g of antibiotic cream) is far more than any one person should use. Please do not buy tubes to keep for future cuts: see the sections on wounds and resistance below.

Compared with what you can get locally

Said plainly: per gram, with shipping, our Soframycin costs more than US pharmacies pay for generic triple antibiotic ointment, which any US shopper can buy the same day without a prescription. If a US reader wants a first aid antibiotic, the local product is cheaper and faster (our view). If you have a real skin infection, you need a pharmacist or doctor, not a mail order cream.

Do you need an antibiotic cream for a cut or burn?

Often not. Here is what guideline bodies and the best review we found say:

• NICE NG125 (surgical site infections), recommendation 1.4.5: "Do not use topical antimicrobial agents for surgical wounds that are healing by primary intention to reduce the risk of surgical site infection."
• American Academy of Dermatology, Choosing Wisely: "Do not routinely use topical antibiotics on a surgical wound." Its explanation says "Any possible reduction in the rate of infection from the use of topical antibiotics on clean surgical wounds compared to the use of non-antibiotic ointment or no ointment is quite small", that there is "a significant risk of developing contact dermatitis" along with "the potential for developing antibiotic resistance", and that "Only wounds that show symptoms of infection should receive appropriate antibiotic treatment."
• Cochrane review, Heal 2016 (PMID 27819748): in 8 pooled trials with 5,427 people whose surgical wounds were healing by primary intention (closed wounds), topical antibiotics "probably reduce the risk" of wound infection compared with no topical antibiotic: about 20 fewer infections per 1,000 people treated, so 50 people would need treating to prevent one. The authors could not draw conclusions about allergic skin reactions or antibiotic resistance.
• Impetigo: NICE NG153 (2020) suggests hydrogen peroxide 1% cream for localised non-bullous impetigo in people who are not systemically unwell, fusidic acid 2% if hydrogen peroxide is unsuitable or ineffective, and mupirocin 2% if fusidic acid resistance is suspected or confirmed. Framycetin is not on its list.

Our reading: for a small clean cut, graze or minor burn, washing it and keeping it covered is usually enough, and an antibiotic cream adds little benefit and some risk of allergy. If a wound looks infected (spreading redness, warmth, swelling, pus, fever), it needs to be seen. For impetigo, see our Fucidin Cream page, which sets out the NICE course.

Hearing and kidney warnings: why large areas matter

Framycetin is from the same family as gentamicin and neomycin. Aminoglycosides can damage hearing (UK Sofradex SmPC) and the kidneys (Canadian Sofra-Tulle label) when enough is absorbed into the bloodstream. The Canadian label says absorption from small areas is slight, but the labels for framycetin products warn about large or broken areas:

• New Zealand Soframycin ear/eye drops data sheet (4.4, revised 15 January 2025): "Aminoglycoside antibiotics may cause irreversible, partial or total deafness when applied topically to open wounds or damaged skin. This effect is aggrevated by renal or hepatic impairment and by prolonged duration of treatment." (sic)
• UK Sofradex ear/eye drops SmPC (4.4): deafness can occur "when given systemically or when applied topically to open wounds or damaged skin", the effect "is dose related and is enhanced by renal or hepatic impairment", and the possibility "should be considered when high dose topical is given to small children or infants".
• Canadian Sofra-Tulle prescribing information (framycetin 1% dressing, Searchlight Pharma, 21 October 2022): "In most cases, where small areas are covered with the tulle, absorption of the antibiotic is so slight that it can be discounted. However, where a very large body surface is involved (e.g., 30% or more body surface area), the possibility of eventual totoxicity [sic] and nephrotoxicity must be considered."
• Mitochondrial gene changes: the New Zealand data sheet reports ototoxicity with aminoglycosides in people with mitochondrial mutations, "particularly the m.1555A>G mutation", some with a maternal history of deafness. It says no cases were identified with topical framycetin, neomycin or gentamicin, but "the potential for a similar effect ... cannot be ruled out".

What this means for you, in our words: do not use Soframycin on large burns, large raw areas or leg ulcers without a doctor, do not put it in the ear, and do not use it for weeks at a time. Tata 1mg's listing gives the same practical advice: "avoid using it on large areas unless your doctor tells you to".

Neomycin allergy and cross sensitivity

Allergy to aminoglycoside creams usually shows up as an itchy red rash where the cream goes, or a wound that gets worse instead of better. The labels say:

• Canadian Soframycin product monograph (Searchlight Pharma, 8 February 2023), contraindications: "Known hypersensitivity to any ingredients of the preparation, especially to framycetin or other aminoglycoside antibiotics."
• Same monograph, precautions: "Cross sensitization may occur among the group of Streptomyces derived antibiotics (neomycin, paromomycin, kanamycin) of which framycetin is a member, but this is not invariable."
• New Zealand data sheet (4.4): in people allergic to other aminoglycosides, "cross-sensitisation to framycetin sulfate may occur, but not invariably so".

So if you have reacted to Neosporin, a triple antibiotic ointment or any neomycin cream, do not use Soframycin unless a doctor says you can (our advice based on the labels above).

How to use Soframycin Cream

We could not find a full English prescribing label for the Indian tube. The steps below come from Encube's Soframycin website and the Indian pharmacy listings, with label warnings from the framycetin products above. Where sources differ, we say so.

1. Clean the area. Encube: "Wash the affected area with water, then gently pat it dry."
2. Apply a thin layer to the affected area only, "2-3 times daily or as directed by your healthcare provider" (Encube). Wash your hands after applying, unless your hands are the area being treated (Tata 1mg).
3. Keep it out of eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Truemeds: "Do not use this cream in or around your eyes, including eyelids." Apollo: keep it away from "your eyes, nose, mouth, and ears unless specifically directed by your doctor". If it gets in an eye, rinse with clean water straight away (Truemeds).
4. Dressings: the listings disagree. PharmEasy says "In case of a large wound, consider bandage as necessary." Tata 1mg says "Do not cover the application area with a bandage unless your doctor recommends it, as it can increase absorption." A large wound needs a doctor anyway (our advice).
5. Stop when it has healed. The New Zealand data sheet says treatment "should not be continued after resolution of symptoms". Tata 1mg says stop using it and inform your doctor "if the wound worsens, does not heal, or you notice redness or itching".
6. Missed application: apply it as soon as you remember; if it is almost time for the next one, skip the missed one, and "Do not apply a double amount" (Apollo).

Encube's site says Soframycin starts to "act in under a minute" and PharmEasy's listing says it "Kills 99.9%" of germs. We have not seen published evidence behind either claim, so we do not rely on them. Note also that the Indian listings and Encube's site call it a "Multi-Purpose Antiseptic Cream", but framycetin is an antibiotic, and the Canadian framycetin labels warn that using it without a proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection "risks the development of resistant organisms".

Side effects

We found no Indian label with a side effect table for this cream. What the framycetin labels and the Indian listings say:

None of these labels gives a frequency for skin use, so we cannot tell you how often each happens.

When to get urgent help

• Allergy: swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing, or a widespread rash, hives or blistering. Apollo's listing says to consult a doctor immediately for "swelling of the face, severe skin peeling, or difficulty breathing". With throat swelling or trouble breathing, call emergency services: 911 in the US and Canada, 999 in the UK, 000 in Australia (our advice).
• Hearing or balance changes: ringing in the ears, reduced hearing, or dizziness and imbalance. These are the signs of ear damage listed in the New Zealand and Australian Soframycin consumer leaflet. Stop the cream and get medical advice the same day (our advice); the data sheet warns the deafness can be irreversible.
• A wound that looks infected or is getting worse: spreading redness, a hot, swollen or very painful area, pus, red streaks, a high temperature or feeling unwell. NICE says refer people with impetigo and signs of a more serious illness such as cellulitis to hospital (NG153, 1.1.15). Same-day care, not more cream (our advice).
• Wounds a cream should not be the first answer for: US labelling rules for neomycin first aid creams say "In case of deep or puncture wounds, animal bites, or serious burns, consult a doctor." Apollo's listing says the same about deep or puncture wounds, animal bites and serious burns. A doctor may also check your tetanus protection (our advice).
• Swallowed cream: the Canadian Sofra-Tulle label says "In case of suspected drug overdose, including oral ingestion, contact your regional poison control center". In the US call Poison Control on 1-800-222-1222; in Australia the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (our advice). A 30 g tube holds about 300 mg of framycetin sulphate (our arithmetic from 1%).

Who should not use Soframycin Cream

Do not use it (the source of each item is named):

• if you are allergic to framycetin, to any ingredient of the cream, or to other aminoglycoside antibiotics (Canadian Soframycin monograph, contraindications; New Zealand data sheet 4.3)
• in the ear, especially with a perforated eardrum: the New Zealand drops are contraindicated "in case of eardrum perforation", and this is a skin cream, not an ear product (our advice)
• in or around the eyes (Truemeds listing); framycetin eye products are separate sterile preparations
• on an infection that is not bacterial: the Canadian labels say prescribing it without "a proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and risks the development of resistant organisms"

Ask a doctor first:

• Large areas, deep wounds, serious burns or leg ulcers: see the hearing and kidney section above.
• Kidney or liver disease: the New Zealand and UK labels say ear damage is made worse by renal or hepatic impairment.
• Hearing problems, a personal or family history of ear damage from medicines (ototoxicity), or a known or suspected mitochondrial disease (New Zealand and Australian consumer leaflet).
• Using other aminoglycosides, such as gentamicin or neomycin products, or any aminoglycoside injection (New Zealand consumer leaflet names neomycin, paromomycin and kanamycin; Apollo's listing warns of cumulative effects with systemic aminoglycosides on extensive open wounds).
• Pregnancy: the New Zealand data sheet (4.6) says aminoglycosides cross the placenta, "all aminoglycosides must be considered potentially nephrotoxic and ototoxic to the foetus", and Soframycin "should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks". The New Zealand and Australian consumer leaflet goes further and lists pregnancy under "Do not use Soframycin". Those labels are for eye and ear drops; we found no pregnancy data for the skin cream.
• Breastfeeding: the New Zealand data sheet says there are no data and it should be used "only if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks, including those to the breastfed child".
• Babies and small children: the UK Sofradex label says the risk of ear damage "should be considered when high dose topical is given to small children or infants". Apollo's listing says it "should be used in children only if prescribed by the doctor".

What the evidence shows

• Framycetin cream itself: we found no placebo-controlled trial of framycetin skin cream. The trials we found used it as the comparison for other creams. In one open label Indian trial in acute wounds (Nipanikar 2017, PMID 28867855), 42 people used framycetin sulphate cream three times a day; their wounds healed in a mean of 9.87 days against 7.77 days with the herbal cream being tested, and no adverse events were reported in either group. The trial was small and open label, so it tells us little about how well framycetin works.
• Topical antibiotics on stitched wounds: see Heal 2016 above: a modest reduction in infection (number needed to treat 50), with unanswered questions about allergy and resistance.

Our reading: Soframycin is an old antibiotic cream with a long history of household use in India but very little modern trial evidence. For a small wound it is not needed; for a real infection a pharmacist or doctor can choose a cream with better evidence, such as fusidic acid or mupirocin for impetigo (NICE NG153).

Other antibiotic creams we sell

None of these is a substitute for seeing someone about an infected wound, and none should be kept at home for repeated self-treatment (our view).

Prescription and legal status

• India: sold without a prescription by the listings we checked. Apollo and PharmEasy list the 30 g tube in their over the counter sections, and Truemeds does not mark it prescription required. Apollo's card for the 100 g tube carries an "Rx" tag, so the listings are not fully consistent.
• US: framycetin is not approved by the FDA. openFDA searches of Drugs@FDA, drug labels and the NDC directory for framycetin returned no matches. The FDA says personal importation of drugs is illegal in most circumstances. Neomycin first aid antibiotics are a separate, related product sold over the counter.
• UK: we found no UK licence for a framycetin skin cream (emc lists framycetin only in Sofradex Ear/Eye Drops). This Indian tube is not registered with the MHRA.
• Canada: every framycetin product in the Health Canada Drug Product Database is listed under the prescription schedule, and none of the marketed ones is a plain skin cream. This Indian tube is not registered with Health Canada.
• Australia: framycetin is a Schedule 4 (prescription only) medicine in the Poisons Standard (October 2026, F2026L01327), and Soframycin Eye/Ear Drops are registered (AUST R 47541). This Indian tube is not registered with the TGA.

Check the rules where you live before you order.

Buying genuine Soframycin Cream

The MHRA warns: "Any medicine not authorised for sale in the UK can be unsafe or ineffective and there is no way of knowing what is in them or the negative health effects they can have." It advises UK buyers: "Only use UK-registered pharmacies, including online pharmacies displaying the official green cross logo". That warning covers this Indian tube, which is not authorised in the UK.

Because the brand changed hands, the carton you receive may not match our photo, which shows an older Aventis pack. Current Indian listings name Encube Ethicals as marketer and a Ponda, Goa manufacturing address. When your order arrives, check that the carton and tube say Soframycin and framycetin sulphate 1% w/w, show the tube size, name the marketer and maker, carry a batch number and an expiry date, and that the seal is intact. These checks cannot prove a tube is genuine, because counterfeiters copy packaging. If a tube causes unusual symptoms, stop using it, seek medical advice, and report it to your medicines regulator (the MHRA Yellow Card scheme in the UK, FDA MedWatch in the US, the TGA in Australia or Health Canada) as well as to us. Store it below 25 °C away from sunlight and out of the reach of children.

Delivery

We ship Soframycin Cream to the US, UK, Australia and Canada in plain packaging with tracking. Standard delivery takes 7 to 14 business days to most countries, which is too slow for a wound or infection you have now. Shipping costs a flat $25 on orders under $149 and is free from $149. See our shipping page and refund policy.

Related guides

• Antibiotic resistance: when antibiotics don't work
• Is it safe to buy medicine online?
• How to verify a legitimate online pharmacy in the USA

Sources

• Indian listings for Soframycin cream (composition, marketer, manufacturing address, tube sizes, price, storage, directions, prescription status): Tata 1mg, Apollo Pharmacy, PharmEasy and Truemeds, checked 30 October 2026; Encube Ethicals Soframycin product pages (30 g and 100 g tubes), read via search extracts 30 October 2026.
• Encube Ethicals agreement to acquire Soframycin from Sanofi for India and Sri Lanka: Pharma Industrial India; FirstWord Pharma, 26 November 2021.
• Soframycin 5 mg/mL Ear/Eye Drops, New Zealand Data Sheet, Pharmaco (NZ) Ltd, revised 15 January 2025, sections 4.2 to 4.9 and 7; Soframycin Consumer Medicine Information, January 2025 (AUST R 47541). Medsafe
• Sofradex Ear/Eye Drops, Summary of Product Characteristics, Neon Healthcare Ltd, PL 45043/0115, section 4.4. emc
• Sofra-Tulle (framycetin sulphate BP 1%) Prescribing Information and Patient Medication Information, Searchlight Pharma Inc., 21 October 2022. Health Canada
• Soframycin Nasal Spray, Skin Ointment, Eye Ointment and Eye Drops Prescribing Information, Searchlight Pharma Inc., 8 February 2023 (contraindications, precautions, resistance).
• Health Canada Drug Product Database, all products with framycetin, checked 30 October 2026.
• Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard, October 2026) Instrument 2026, F2026L01327, Schedule 4 entry for framycetin; Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Medicine Finder, Soframycin Eye (S4).
• US Food and Drug Administration: openFDA Drugs@FDA, drug label and NDC searches for framycetin (no matches), checked 30 October 2026; 21 CFR 333 subpart B, first aid antibiotic drug products (sections 333.110, 333.150), eCFR as of 1 October 2026.
• NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost), data.medicaid.gov, as of 28 October 2026: no framycetin rows; triple antibiotic ointment, bacitracin ointment and mupirocin 2% ointment rows effective 21 October 2026.
• NICE. Surgical site infections: prevention and treatment (NG125), recommendation 1.4.5. NICE
• NICE. Impetigo: antimicrobial prescribing (NG153), published 26 February 2020, recommendations 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.15 and Tables 1 and 2. NICE
• American Academy of Dermatology. Choosing Wisely: "Do not routinely use topical antibiotics on a surgical wound", with explanation. AAD
• Heal CF, et al. Topical antibiotics for preventing surgical site infection in wounds healing by primary intention. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016. PMID 27819748.
• Nipanikar SU, et al. An open label, randomized, comparative ... study to evaluate efficacy and safety of "AHPL/AYTOP/0113" in comparison with "Framycetin Sulphate Cream" in acute wounds. Anc Sci Life 2017. PMID 28867855.
• MHRA. 20 million illegal erectile dysfunction pills seized as MHRA warns against risky online buys, 13 February 2026. GOV.UK.
• US Food and Drug Administration. Personal Importation. FDA

This page is for information and is not medical advice. A wound that is deep, large, from an animal bite, a serious burn, or showing signs of infection needs a doctor or pharmacist now; do not wait for a delivery.