Clinical Drug Experience Knowledgebase

Merbromin (marketed as Mercurochrome, Merbromine) is a topical antiseptic used for minor cuts and scrapes. It is readily available in most countries but, because of its mercury content, it is no longer sold in Switzerland, France, Germany, and the United States. Merbromin's best-known use is as a topical antiseptic to treat minor wounds, burns, and scratches. It is also used in the antisepsis of the umbilical cord and the antisepsis of wound of difficult scar formation, like neuropathic ulcers, and diabetic foot sores. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1998 classified merbromin as "not Generally Recognized as Safe" together with a multitude of other active compounds, based on the absence of interest on the part of pharmaceutical companies in funding new studies or updated supporting information, due to the high costs of said studies in comparison to sales, rather than due to being toxic. In the United States, its use has been superseded by other agents (e.g., povidone iodine, benzalkonium chloride, chloroxylenol). It is still an important antiseptic, particularly in developing nations, due to its “unbelievably low cost.”   ^NCATS