Avilamycin is an orthosomycin antibiotic complex produced by the fermentation of Streptomyces viridochromogenes. Avilamycin is intended for use as a veterinary medicine in chickens, turkeys, pigs and rabbits to control bacterial enteric infections. It exhibits good antimicrobial activity against important veterinary Gram-positive pathogens (e.g., Clostridium perfringens) and has no related molecules in its class in human use. Therefore, avilamycin has been developed for treating necrotic enteritis in poultry, and enteric disease in pig and rabbits. Avilamycin inhibits bacterial protein synthesis through a novel mechanism of action by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit and preventing the association of IF2, which inhibits the formation of the mature 70S initiation complex, and the correct positioning of tRNA in the aminoacyl site. No adverse drug-related changes were observed.