Vancomycin is a branched tricyclic glycosylated nonribosomal peptide produced by the Actinomycetota species Amycolatopsis orientalis (formerly designated Nocardia orientalis).
Vancomycin exhibits atropisomerism—it has multiple chemically distinct rotamers owing to the rotational restriction of some of the bonds. The form present in the drug is the thermodynamically more stable conformer.