Sulfa drug

Sulfa drug, any of various synthetic compounds derived from sulfanilimide that inhibit the multiplication of invading bacteria, thus allowing the body's cellular defense mechanisms to suppress infection. The first sulfa drug was synthesized in 1908 and used widely as a dye before Gerhard Domagk reported its effectiveness against streptococci (1938). In recent years many sulfa drugs have been replaced by antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial infections.