Comprehensive medication guide to Humatin including estimated pricing, availability information, side effects, and how to find it in stock at your local pharmacy.
Estimated Insurance Pricing
$20–$100 copay for insured patients with approved prior authorization; typically placed on Tier 3-4 or specialty tier. Prior authorization almost always required; some plans require GI or infectious disease specialist documentation.
Estimated Cash Pricing
$2,700–$6,150 retail for brand-name Humatin (250 mg capsules) for a typical treatment course; generic has been discontinued. Coupon pricing with SingleCare may reduce cost to approximately $2,700 for 21 capsules.
Medfinder Findability Score
35/100
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Humatin is the brand name for paromomycin sulfate, an aminoglycoside antibiotic manufactured by Waylis Therapeutics LLC. It is available as 250 mg oral capsules and is FDA-approved for the treatment of intestinal amebiasis (acute and chronic) and as adjunctive therapy in the management of hepatic coma.
Unlike most aminoglycoside antibiotics, paromomycin is minimally absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract — nearly 100% of an oral dose is excreted unchanged in the stool. This makes it uniquely effective as a luminal amebicide, acting directly on parasites living in the intestinal cavity without meaningful systemic exposure.
Humatin is also used off-label for giardiasis (particularly in pregnancy, where nitroimidazoles carry greater risk), Dientamoeba fragilis infection, cryptosporidiosis in immunocompromised patients, and certain tapeworm infections.
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Paromomycin is bactericidal — it kills bacteria and parasites rather than just slowing their growth. It acts by binding irreversibly to the 30S ribosomal subunit inside susceptible organisms. The ribosome is the cellular machine responsible for building proteins from genetic instructions. When paromomycin binds to it, the ribosome misreads the genetic code, producing nonfunctional proteins. Without functional proteins, the organism cannot maintain its cell membrane, replicate, or carry out essential metabolic processes — it dies.
For hepatic encephalopathy, paromomycin works by reducing the population of ammonia-producing bacteria in the gut. In patients with severe liver disease, the liver cannot adequately detoxify ammonia produced by gut bacteria. Ammonia accumulates in the blood, crosses the blood-brain barrier, and impairs brain function. By reducing gut bacteria that produce ammonia, paromomycin lowers blood ammonia levels and helps improve neurological function as an adjunct to other treatments like lactulose.
Because paromomycin is classified as a luminal or contact amebicide, it is effective against Entamoeba histolytica in the intestinal lumen regardless of whether bacteria are present. This distinguishes it from tetracyclines, which require bacteria to be present for their amebicidal activity.
250 mg — capsule
Brand-name Humatin oral capsule. Take three times daily with meals. Dose is weight-based: 25-35 mg/kg/day for intestinal amebiasis.
Humatin is one of the most difficult specialty antibiotics to find at standard retail pharmacies in the United States. Although it is not on the FDA's official drug shortage list, the brand-name product is rarely stocked at major retail chains like CVS, Walgreens, or Rite Aid. The generic paromomycin sulfate capsule has been discontinued, leaving patients with only the brand-name option at extremely high retail prices ($2,700–$6,150 per treatment course).
Specialty pharmacies, hospital outpatient pharmacies, and independent pharmacies in areas with higher rates of parasitic infections are the most reliable sources. The Humatin TotalCare patient assistance program (844-200-7910) through Waylis Therapeutics can help eligible patients access the medication and be directed to dispensing pharmacies.
Use medfinder to search pharmacies in your area — the service calls pharmacies on your behalf, including specialty and independent pharmacies that standard tools miss, and texts you results so you don't have to spend hours on hold.
Humatin (paromomycin) is not a controlled substance and has no special DEA prescribing requirements. Any licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant can legally write a prescription. However, many insurance plans require the prescription to be written by or in consultation with an infectious disease specialist or gastroenterologist as part of prior authorization requirements.
Telehealth providers can prescribe Humatin since it is not controlled, though the diagnosis of intestinal amebiasis requires laboratory confirmation (stool PCR or antigen testing) that must be performed at an in-person lab. A telehealth provider can review existing results and prescribe, or order labs at a local draw site.
No. Humatin (paromomycin) is not a controlled substance and is not scheduled by the DEA. There are no special prescribing certifications, DEA numbers, or monitoring requirements associated with paromomycin. Any licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant can prescribe it.
While there are no DEA-based prescribing restrictions, insurance companies frequently require that the prescription be written by or in consultation with an infectious disease specialist or gastroenterologist as part of their prior authorization requirements. This is a payer requirement, not a regulatory one, but it affects practical access for many patients.
Because Humatin is minimally absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, most side effects are limited to the GI system:
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Metronidazole (Flagyl)
First-line systemic amebicide for invasive amebiasis. Works on tissue-invasive parasites; often combined sequentially with a luminal agent like paromomycin. Widely available as generic.
Tinidazole (Tindamax)
Preferred nitroimidazole in many guidelines; shorter course than metronidazole; used for invasive amebiasis then followed by luminal agent.
Nitazoxanide (Alinia)
Broad-spectrum antiparasitic; FDA-approved for cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis; alternative when nitroimidazoles are contraindicated.
Rifaximin (Xifaxan)
FDA-approved for hepatic encephalopathy; preferred over paromomycin in current guidelines for secondary prevention; widely available.
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Loop Diuretics (furosemide, bumetanide, torsemide, ethacrynic acid)
majorSignificantly increased risk of ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity when combined with paromomycin. Avoid combination when possible; monitor closely if required.
BCG Vaccine (live) and Typhoid Vaccine (live oral)
majorParomomycin inactivates live bacterial vaccines. Contraindicated — wait until antibiotic course is complete before administering any live bacterial vaccine.
Neuromuscular Blocking Agents (atracurium, vecuronium, cisatracurium)
majorParomomycin potentiates neuromuscular blockade, increasing risk of prolonged apnea. Alert anesthesiologist if surgical procedure is needed during Humatin therapy.
Warfarin (Coumadin)
moderateParomomycin may modestly increase warfarin's anticoagulant effect by altering gut bacteria that process vitamin K. Monitor INR during treatment.
Nephrotoxic Drugs (cisplatin, cidofovir, cyclosporine, tacrolimus)
moderateAdditive nephrotoxicity risk if paromomycin is absorbed through intestinal ulcers. Monitor kidney function if combination is required.
Oral Hormonal Contraceptives
minorParomomycin alters gut flora which may modestly reduce effectiveness of oral hormones via enterohepatic circulation. Use backup contraception during treatment.
Humatin (paromomycin) fills a specific and important niche in the treatment of intestinal parasitic infections and hepatic complications of liver disease. Its unique property of staying almost entirely within the intestinal lumen makes it the treatment of choice for luminal clearance in amebiasis and a safer option for intestinal infections during pregnancy when systemic drugs carry greater risk.
The primary challenge with Humatin in 2026 is not clinical — it's logistical and financial. The discontinuation of the generic, the high brand-name retail price, and limited retail pharmacy distribution mean that patients frequently struggle to access this medication after it's been prescribed. Specialty pharmacies, hospital outpatient pharmacies, and the Humatin TotalCare patient assistance program are the most reliable pathways to access.
If you've been prescribed Humatin and are struggling to find it, medfinder can call pharmacies near you on your behalf to locate which ones have it available — saving you hours of frustrating phone calls. Simply provide your medication details and location, and results will be texted to you.
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Our medication guides are researched and written to help patients make informed decisions. All content is reviewed for accuracy and updated regularly. Learn more about our standards
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