The cardiovascular drug nifedipine exhibited significant in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity against 331 strains of bacteria belonging to three Gram-positive and twelve Gram-negative genera. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the drug, as determined both by agar and broth dilution methods, was seen to range from $25;-;200;{mu}g/ml$ against most test bacteria, including several pathogenic ones, in the in vitro studies. Nifedipine was bacteriostatic in action. in vivo studies with this drug showed that it could offer statistically significant protection (P < 0.001) to mice challenged with a virulent bacterium. Therefore, nifedipine has the potential of an antibacterial agent, which may be developed after further pharmacological studies.