Pirlimycin is a semi-synthetic lincosamide prepared from clindamycin by hydrolysing the propyl N-methylproline and re-annealing a 4-ethylpipecolic acid. Pirlimycin is more hydrophobic than clindamycin and is more potent against a number of important pathogens. Like other members of the lincosamide family, pirlimycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic with activity against anaerobic bacteria and protozoans. Pirlimycin acts by binding to the 23S ribosomal subunit, blocking protein synthesis. Pirlimycin has been less extensively researched than the older lincosamides.