Who Makes This Medication?
Brand-name Augmentin ES is made by GlaxoSmithKline. Generic versions (made by various manufacturers) are also available.
How Does Augmentin ES Work?
Augmentin ES contains two different medications,
amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium (also known as clavulanic acid, or simply clavulanate).
Amoxicillin belongs to a group of medications known as aminopenicillins, which is part of a larger group of medications known as beta-lactam antibiotics (named after the ring-like "lactam" structure of these antibiotics).
Amoxicillin works by stopping bacteria from making cell walls, which eventually causes the bacteria to die. However, many bacteria have developed a resistance to amoxicillin (and similar antibiotics) by producing enzymes called beta-lactamases. Beta-lactamases (produced by bacteria) break the beta-lactam ring, making amoxicillin (and similar antibiotics) ineffective.
The other component of Augmentin ES (clavulanate) is known as a beta-lactamase inhibitor. Clavulanate stops the bacterial enzymes from breaking down the amoxicillin molecule. Clavulanate itself has no significant antibacterial activity; it merely helps to prevent amoxicillin from being broken down by bacteria that would otherwise be resistant to amoxicillin. Essentially, clavulanate "augments" the activity of amoxicillin (hence the name Augmentin).
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