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Metampicillin is the approved name for the penicillin resulting from the reaction of ampicillin with formaldehyde.

It is prepared by the reaction of ampicillin with formaldehyde and is hydrolyzed in aqueous solution with the formation of ampicillin. Hydrolysis is rapid under acid conditions, e.g., in the stomach, less rapid in neutral media, and incomplete in solutions such as human serum.