Mercaptopurine 25mg capsules
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
An antimetabolite antineoplastic agent with immunosuppressant properties.
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Mercaptopurine
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Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Mercaptopurine
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EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
1 branded products available
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and NHS BNF section grouping. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Mercaptopurine
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(9)
Crohn's disease: management (NG129)
Ulcerative colitis: management (NG130)
Infliximab, adalimumab and golimumab for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis after the failure of conventional therapy (TA329)
Infliximab for acute exacerbations of ulcerative colitis (TA163)
Ozanimod for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (TA828)
Risankizumab for previously treated moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (TA888)
Vedolizumab for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (TA342)
Blinatumomab with chemotherapy for consolidation treatment of Philadelphia-chromosome-negative CD19-positive minimal residual disease-negative B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (TA1049)
Ustekinumab for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (TA633)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
Pharmacy stock checkers
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Supply & product information
Official product databases and supply status monitoring
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. emc (electronic medicines compendium) is operated by Datapharm Ltd. Shortage information sourced from NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS), sps.nhs.uk.
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF codes from NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
45 minutes
Mechanism
Mercaptopurine competes with hypoxanthine and guanine for the enzyme hypoxanthin…
Food interactions
2 warnings
Human targets
4 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
50%
Half-life
45 minutes
Protein binding
19%
Volume of distribution
Metabolism
In…
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 999 interactions
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
In humans, after oral administration of 35S-6-mercaptopurine, urine contains intact mercaptopurine, thiouric acid (formed by direct oxidation by xanthine oxidase, probably via 6-mercapto-8-hydroxypurine), and a number of 6-methylated thiopurines. The methylthiopurines yield appreciable amounts of inorganic sulfate.
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:7763314 PMID:7903306
Could also have a single-stranded nucleic acid-binding activity and could play a role in RNA and/or DNA metabolism .
PMID:14766016
It may also have a role in the development of malignancy and the growth progression of some tumors
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:14586168 PMID:15644426 PMID:15846473 PMID:16455804 PMID:31553721
Transports organic anions such as estrone 3-sulfate (E1S) and urate in exchange for dicarboxylates such as glutarate or ketoglutarate (2-oxoglutarate) .
PMID:14586168 PMID:15846473 PMID:15864504 PMID:22108572 PMID:23832370
Plays an important role in the excretion of endogenous and exogenous organic anions, especially from the kidney and the brain .
PMID:11306713 PMID:14586168 PMID:15846473
E1S transport is pH- and chloride-dependent and may also involve E1S/cGMP exchange .
PMID:26377792
Responsible for the transport of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2(alpha) (PGF2(alpha)) in the basolateral side of the renal tubule .
PMID:11907186
Involved in the transport of neuroactive tryptophan metabolites kynurenate and xanthurenate .
PMID:22108572 PMID:23832370
Functions as a biopterin transporters involved in the uptake and the secretion of coenzymes tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), dihydrobiopterin (BH2) and sepiapterin to urine, thereby determining baseline levels of blood biopterins .
PMID:28534121
May be involved in the basolateral transport of steviol, a metabolite of the popular sugar substitute stevioside .
PMID:15644426
May participate in the detoxification/ renal excretion of drugs and xenobiotics, such as the histamine H(2)-receptor antagonists fexofenadine and cimetidine, the antibiotic benzylpenicillin (PCG), the anionic herbicide 2,4-dichloro-phenoxyacetate (2,4-D), the diagnostic agent p-aminohippurate (PAH), the antiviral acyclovir (ACV), and the mycotoxin ochratoxin (OTA), by transporting these exogenous organic anions across the cell membrane in exchange for dicarboxylates such as 2-oxoglutarate .
PMID:11669456 PMID:15846473 PMID:16455804
Contributes to the renal uptake of potent uremic toxins (indoxyl sulfate (IS), indole acetate (IA), hippurate/N-benzoylglycine (HA) and 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropionate (CMPF)), pravastatin, PCG, E1S and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and is partly involved in the renal uptake of temocaprilat (an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor) .
PMID:14675047
May contribute to the release of cortisol in the adrenals .
PMID:15864504
Involved in one of the detoxification systems on the choroid plexus (CP), removes substrates such as E1S or taurocholate (TC), PCG, 2,4-D and PAH, from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to the blood for eventual excretion in urine and bile (By similarity). Also contributes to the uptake of several other organic compounds such as the prostanoids prostaglandin E(2) and prostaglandin F(2-alpha), L-carnitine, and the therapeutic drugs allopurinol, 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (By similarity). Mediates the transport of PAH, PCG, and the statins pravastatin and pitavastatin, from the cerebrum into the blood circulation across the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
In summary, plays a role in the efflux of drugs and xenobiotics, helping reduce their undesired toxicological effects on the body (By similarity)
PMID:11856762 PMID:12523936 PMID:12835412 PMID:12883481 PMID:15364914 PMID:15454390 PMID:16282361 PMID:17959747 PMID:18300232 PMID:26721430
Mediates the ATP-dependent efflux of glutathione conjugates such as leukotriene C4 (LTC4) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) too. The presence of GSH is necessary for the ATP-dependent transport of LTB4, whereas GSH is not required for the transport of LTC4 .
PMID:17959747
Mediates the cotransport of bile acids with reduced glutathione (GSH) .
PMID:12523936 PMID:12883481 PMID:16282361
Transports a wide range of drugs and their metabolites, including anticancer, antiviral and antibiotics molecules .
PMID:11856762 PMID:12105214 PMID:15454390 PMID:17344354 PMID:18300232
Confers resistance to anticancer agents such as methotrexate PMID:11106685
PMID:10893247 PMID:12637526 PMID:12695538 PMID:15899835 PMID:17229149 PMID:25964343
Also acts as a general glutamate conjugate and analog transporter that can limit the brain levels of endogenous metabolites, drugs, and toxins .
PMID:26515061
Confers resistance to the antiviral agent PMEA .
PMID:12695538
Able to transport several anticancer drugs including methotrexate, and nucleotide analogs in vitro, however it does with low affinity, thus the exact role of ABCC5 in mediating resistance still needs to be elucidated .
PMID:10840050 PMID:12435799 PMID:12695538 PMID:15899835
Acts as a heme transporter required for the translocation of cytosolic heme to the secretory pathway .
PMID:24836561
May play a role in energy metabolism by regulating the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) secretion from enteroendocrine cells (By similarity)
PMID:10087507 PMID:9435697
Exhibits the transport characteristics of the nucleoside transport system cif or N1 subtype (N1/cif) (selective for purine nucleosides and uridine) .
PMID:10087507 PMID:21795683 PMID:9435697
Plays a critical role in specific uptake and salvage of purine nucleosides in kidney and other tissues .
PMID:9435697
May contribute to regulate the transport of organic compounds in testes across the blood-testis-barrier (Probable)
PMID:11032837 PMID:15861042 PMID:16446384 PMID:17140564 PMID:21998139
Involved in the homeostasis of endogenous nucleosides .
PMID:11032837 PMID:15861042
Exhibits the transport characteristics of the nucleoside transport system cib or N3 subtype (N3/cib) (with marked transport of both thymidine and inosine) .
PMID:11032837
Employs a 2:1 sodium/nucleoside ratio .
PMID:11032837
Transports uridine .
PMID:21795683
Also able to transport gemcitabine, 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), ribavirin and 3-deazauridine PMID:11032837 PMID:17140564
PMID:10722669 PMID:10755314 PMID:12527552 PMID:14759222 PMID:15037197 PMID:17379602 PMID:21795683 PMID:26406980 PMID:27995448 PMID:35790189 PMID:8986748
Functions as a Na(+)-independent transporter .
PMID:8986748
Involved in the transport of nucleosides such as adenosine, guanosine, inosine, uridine, thymidine and cytidine .
PMID:10722669 PMID:10755314 PMID:12527552 PMID:14759222 PMID:15037197 PMID:17379602 PMID:26406980 PMID:8986748
Also transports purine nucleobases (hypoxanthine, adenine, guanine) and pyrimidine nucleobases (thymine, uracil) .
PMID:21795683 PMID:27995448
Mediates basolateral nucleoside uptake into Sertoli cells, thereby regulating the transport of nucleosides in testis across the blood-testis barrier (By similarity). Regulates inosine levels in brown adipocytes tissues (BAT) and extracellular inosine levels, which controls BAT-dependent energy expenditure PMID:35790189
PMID:10722669 PMID:12527552 PMID:12590919 PMID:16214850 PMID:21795683 PMID:9396714 PMID:9478986
Functions as a Na(+)-independent, passive transporter .
PMID:9478986
Involved in the transport of nucleosides such as inosine, adenosine, uridine, thymidine, cytidine and guanosine .
PMID:10722669 PMID:12527552 PMID:12590919 PMID:16214850 PMID:21795683 PMID:9396714 PMID:9478986
Also able to transport purine nucleobases (hypoxanthine, adenine, guanine) and pyrimidine nucleobases (thymine, uracil) .
PMID:16214850 PMID:21795683
Involved in nucleoside transport at basolateral membrane of kidney cells, allowing liver absorption of nucleoside metabolites .
PMID:12527552
Mediates apical nucleoside uptake into Sertoli cells, thereby regulating the transport of nucleosides in testis across the blood-testis-barrier .
PMID:23639800
Mediates both the influx and efflux of hypoxanthine in skeletal muscle microvascular endothelial cells to control the amount of intracellular hypoxanthine available for xanthine oxidase-mediated ROS production (By similarity)
Involved compounds
Involved compounds
Involved compounds
Involved compounds
ATC L01BB02
ATC R03DA20
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Mercaptopurine
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
11804
ChemSpider
580869
BindingDB
50423778
PDB
PM6
ZINC
ZINC000004658290
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:5157
GenAtlas
HPRT1
GeneCards
HPRT1
GenBank Gene Database
M31642
GenBank Protein Database
306885
UniProt Accession
HPRT_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6052
GenAtlas
IMPDH1
GeneCards
IMPDH1
GenBank Gene Database
J05272
GenBank Protein Database
307067
Guide to Pharmacology
2624
UniProt Accession
IMDH1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:9238
GenAtlas
PPAT
GeneCards
PPAT
GenBank Gene Database
D13757
GenBank Protein Database
219459
UniProt Accession
PUR1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6052
GenAtlas
IMPDH1
GeneCards
IMPDH1
GenBank Gene Database
J05272
GenBank Protein Database
307067
Guide to Pharmacology
2624
UniProt Accession
IMDH1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6053
GenAtlas
IMPDH2
GeneCards
IMPDH2
GenBank Gene Database
J04208
GenBank Protein Database
307066
Guide to Pharmacology
2625
UniProt Accession
IMDH2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:553
GeneCards
AOX1
GenBank Gene Database
L11005
GenBank Protein Database
438656
Guide to Pharmacology
3186
UniProt Accession
AOXA_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:12014
GenAtlas
TPMT
GeneCards
TPMT
GenBank Gene Database
S62904
GenBank Protein Database
386420
UniProt Accession
TPMT_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:12805
GenAtlas
XDH
GeneCards
XDH
GenBank Gene Database
D11456
GenBank Protein Database
10336525
Guide to Pharmacology
2646
UniProt Accession
XDH_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10972
GeneCards
SLC22A8
GenBank Gene Database
AF097491
GenBank Protein Database
4378059
Guide to Pharmacology
1027
UniProt Accession
S22A8_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:55
GenAtlas
ABCC4
GeneCards
ABCC4
GenBank Gene Database
AF071202
GenBank Protein Database
3335173
Guide to Pharmacology
782
UniProt Accession
MRP4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:56
GeneCards
ABCC5
GenBank Gene Database
AF104942
GenBank Protein Database
4140698
Guide to Pharmacology
783
UniProt Accession
MRP5_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:11002
GeneCards
SLC28A2
Guide to Pharmacology
1115
UniProt Accession
S28A2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:16484
GeneCards
SLC28A3
GenBank Gene Database
AF305210
GenBank Protein Database
10732815
Guide to Pharmacology
1116
UniProt Accession
S28A3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:11003
GenAtlas
SLC29A1
GeneCards
SLC29A1
GenBank Gene Database
U81375
GenBank Protein Database
1845345
Guide to Pharmacology
1117
UniProt Accession
S29A1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:11004
GeneCards
SLC29A2
UniProt Accession
S29A2_HUMAN
International reference pricing
Reference pricing from DrugBank. Prices are indicative and may not reflect current UK costs.
Source: DrugBank. Used under CC BY-NC 4.0 academic licence for non-commercial purposes.
DrugBank citations
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