July 17 (Reuters) - Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company

said on Wednesday that it is working with the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration to import and distribute penicillin in the

country temporarily.

The online pharmacy, which offers low-cost common

medications, will immediately import and distribute 1.2 million

units of penicillin to mitigate the shortage of Pfizer's ( PFE )

Bicillin L-A.

Last year in June, Pfizer ( PFE ) had warned that the pediatric

version of the drug, used to treat syphilis and other bacterial

infections, could run out by the end of the quarter due to a

spike in syphilis infections in adults.

In an update on June 10 of this year, Pfizer ( PFE ) said that they

currently have an "available supply" of 2.4 million units of

Bicillin L-A.

However, the drugmaker noted that while supply is

improving, it will not be fully available until later this year.

Cuban's Cost Plus will import Lentocilin brand penicillin

powder marketed by Portugal-based Laboratórios Atral S.A.

Lentocilin will be available only by prescription in the

U.S. and is not FDA approved, Atral said in a statement.

Cost Plus did not immediately respond to a Reuters request

for comment.