Olsalazine 250mg/5ml oral suspension
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Chronic bowel disorders
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 Olsalazine
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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
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Olsalazine
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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
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
1 gram
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via NHS dm+d BNF mapping files. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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
Olsalazine
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(1)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Supply & product information
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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
234 found
Half-life
0.9 hours
Mechanism
Upon administration, the azo bond connecting two molecules of mesalamine (also k…
Food interactions
1 warning
Human targets
3 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
5%
[A257063]…
Half-life
0.9 hours
Protein binding
99%
Volume of distribution
5L
[A257063]
Metabolism
0.1%
Elimination
90 to 97%
[A257063]
Total recovery of oral 14C-labeled olsalazine in animals and humans ranges from 90 to 97%.…
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L45023]
In Canada, it is used in the treatment of acute ulcerative colitis of mild to moderate severity, with or without the concomitant use of steroids. It is also indicated for the long-term maintenance of patients with ulcerative colitis in remission.
[L45151]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 975 interactions
There is no antidote for olsalazine overdose; however, conventional therapy for salicylate toxicity, such as gastrointestinal tract decontamination, may be beneficial in acute overdosage. Overdose should be managed with proper medical care and appropriate supportive care, including the possible use of emesis, cathartics, and activated charcoal to prevent further absorption. Fluid and electrolyte imbalance may be managed with appropriate intravenous therapy and maintenance of adequate renal function.
[L45023]
Olsalazine may attenuate intestinal inflammation by limiting macrophage migration to inflamed intestinal mucosa: it was shown to inhibit in vitro migration of intestinal macrophages in response to leukotriene B4. Olsalazine may also act as a free radical scavenger, and mesalazine may suppress fatty acid peroxidation.[A257063]
Olsalazine was shown to decrease water and sodium absorption. While olsalazine is not expected to affect the motility and transit time of small intestines, it decreased small bowel transit time at high doses ranging from 60 to 120 mg/kg. In about 40% of the patients with ulcerative colitis, administration of olsalazine 1g daily was associated with a decrease in whole gut transit time.[A257063]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[A257063]
Based on oral and intravenous dosing studies, approximately 2.4% of a single 1 g oral dose is absorbed. Maximum serum concentrations of olsalazine appear after approximately one hour and, even after a 1 g single dose, are low (e.g., 1.6 to 6.2 µmol/L).
[L45023]
Patients on daily doses of 1 g olsalazine for two to four years show a stable plasma concentration of olsalazine-S (3.3 to 12.4 µmol/L). Olsalazine-S accumulates to a steady state within two to three weeks.
Serum concentrations of mesalamine are detected after four to eight hours. The peak levels of mesalamine after an oral dose of 1 g olsalazine are low (i.e., 0 to 4.3 µmol/L).
[L45023]
[A257063][L45023]
[L45023]
Mesalamine (5-aminosalicylic acid, 5-ASA) and its metabolite, N-acetyl-5-ASA, are 74 and 81%, respectively, bound to plasma proteins.
[L45023]
[A257063]
[A257063]
Approximately 0.1% of an oral dose of olsalazine is metabolized in the liver to olsalazine-O-sulfate (olsalazine-S).
[L45023]
[A257063]
Total recovery of oral 14C-labeled olsalazine in animals and humans ranges from 90 to 97%. Approximately 20% of the total mesalamine is recovered in the urine. Of the total mesalamine found in the urine, more than 90% is N-acetyl-5-ASA.
Only small amounts of mesalamine are detected in the urine. The remaining mesalamine is partially acetylated and excreted in the feces. From fecal dialysis, the concentration of mesalamine in the colon following olsalazine has been calculated to be 18 to 49 mmol/L.
[L45023]
The urinary recovery of olsalazine is below 1%.
[L45023]
Less than 5% of an oral dose (0.25 to 2g) was recovered unchanged in the feces; however, more than 50% of the oral dose was excreted in feces as unchanged olsalazine when the whole gut transit time was decreased by approximately 50%.
[A257063]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:11939906 PMID:16373578 PMID:19540099 PMID:22942274 PMID:26859324 PMID:27226593 PMID:7592599 PMID:7947975 PMID:9261177
The cyclooxygenase activity oxygenates AA to the hydroperoxy endoperoxide prostaglandin G2 (PGG2), and the peroxidase activity reduces PGG2 to the hydroxy endoperoxide prostaglandin H2 (PGH2), the precursor of all 2-series prostaglandins and thromboxanes .
PMID:16373578 PMID:22942274 PMID:26859324 PMID:27226593 PMID:7592599 PMID:7947975 PMID:9261177
This complex transformation is initiated by abstraction of hydrogen at carbon 13 (with S-stereochemistry), followed by insertion of molecular O2 to form the endoperoxide bridge between carbon 9 and 11 that defines prostaglandins. The insertion of a second molecule of O2 (bis-oxygenase activity) yields a hydroperoxy group in PGG2 that is then reduced to PGH2 by two electrons .
PMID:16373578 PMID:22942274 PMID:26859324 PMID:27226593 PMID:7592599 PMID:7947975 PMID:9261177
Similarly catalyzes successive cyclooxygenation and peroxidation of dihomo-gamma-linoleate (DGLA, C20:3(n-6)) and eicosapentaenoate (EPA, C20:5(n-3)) to corresponding PGH1 and PGH3, the precursors of 1- and 3-series prostaglandins .
PMID:11939906 PMID:19540099
In an alternative pathway of prostanoid biosynthesis, converts 2-arachidonoyl lysophopholipids to prostanoid lysophopholipids, which are then hydrolyzed by intracellular phospholipases to release free prostanoids .
PMID:27642067
Metabolizes 2-arachidonoyl glycerol yielding the glyceryl ester of PGH2, a process that can contribute to pain response .
PMID:22942274
Generates lipid mediators from n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) via a lipoxygenase-type mechanism. Oxygenates PUFAs to hydroperoxy compounds and then reduces them to corresponding alcohols .
PMID:11034610 PMID:11192938 PMID:9048568 PMID:9261177
Plays a role in the generation of resolution phase interaction products (resolvins) during both sterile and infectious inflammation .
PMID:12391014
Metabolizes docosahexaenoate (DHA, C22:6(n-3)) to 17R-HDHA, a precursor of the D-series resolvins (RvDs) .
PMID:12391014
As a component of the biosynthetic pathway of E-series resolvins (RvEs), converts eicosapentaenoate (EPA, C20:5(n-3)) primarily to 18S-HEPE that is further metabolized by ALOX5 and LTA4H to generate 18S-RvE1 and 18S-RvE2 .
PMID:21206090
In vascular endothelial cells, converts docosapentaenoate (DPA, C22:5(n-3)) to 13R-HDPA, a precursor for 13-series resolvins (RvTs) shown to activate macrophage phagocytosis during bacterial infection .
PMID:26236990
In activated leukocytes, contributes to oxygenation of hydroxyeicosatetraenoates (HETE) to diHETES (5,15-diHETE and 5,11-diHETE) .
PMID:22068350 PMID:26282205
Can also use linoleate (LA, (9Z,12Z)-octadecadienoate, C18:2(n-6)) as substrate and produce hydroxyoctadecadienoates (HODEs) in a regio- and stereospecific manner, being (9R)-HODE ((9R)-hydroxy-(10E,12Z)-octadecadienoate) and (13S)-HODE ((13S)-hydroxy-(9Z,11E)-octadecadienoate) its major products (By similarity).
During neuroinflammation, plays a role in neuronal secretion of specialized preresolving mediators (SPMs) 15R-lipoxin A4 that regulates phagocytic microglia (By similarity)
PMID:18484748 PMID:657528
TPMT activity modulates the cytotoxic effects of thiopurine prodrugs. A natural substrate for this enzyme has yet to be identified
Contributes to the generation of reactive oxygen species. Has also low oxidase activity towards aldehydes (in vitro)
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:18327257 PMID:18701466 PMID:22647630 PMID:28083649 PMID:36749388
May have a residual high-affinity, low-capacity glucose and fructose transporter activity .
PMID:18327257 PMID:18701466 PMID:18842065
Transports urate at rates 45- to 60-fold faster than glucose .
PMID:18842065
Does not transport galactose .
PMID:28083649
May mediate small uptake of adenine but not of other nucleobases PMID:22647630
PMID:11669456 PMID:11907186 PMID:14675047 PMID:22108572 PMID:23832370 PMID:28534121 PMID:9950961
Mediates the uptake of OA across the basolateral side of proximal tubule epithelial cells, thereby contributing to the renal elimination of endogenous OA from the systemic circulation into the urine .
PMID:9887087
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
Transports prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2-alpha (PGF2-alpha) and may contribute to their renal excretion .
PMID:11907186
Also mediates the uptake of cyclic nucleotides such as cAMP and cGMP .
PMID:26377792
Involved in the transport of neuroactive tryptophan metabolites kynurenate (KYNA) and xanthurenate (XA) and may contribute to their secretion from the brain .
PMID:22108572 PMID:23832370
May transport glutamate .
PMID:26377792
Also involved in the disposition of uremic toxins and potentially toxic xenobiotics by the renal organic anion secretory pathway, helping reduce their undesired toxicological effects on the body .
PMID:11669456 PMID:14675047
Uremic toxins include the indoxyl sulfate (IS), hippurate/N-benzoylglycine (HA), indole acetate (IA), 3-carboxy-4- methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropionate (CMPF) and urate .
PMID:14675047 PMID:26377792
Xenobiotics include the mycotoxin ochratoxin (OTA) .
PMID:11669456
May also contribute to the transport of organic compounds in testes across the blood-testis-barrier PMID:35307651
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:11009570 PMID:16790504 PMID:17494632 PMID:19726692 PMID:7929240 PMID:8041748
May play a role in extracellular matrix and cartilage calcification as well as in vascular calcification .
PMID:11009570
Essential for cell proliferation but this function is independent of its phosphate transporter activity PMID:19726692
ATC A07EC03
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)
Olsalazine
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
1226
ChemSpider
10642377
PDB
JBC
ZINC
ZINC000003812865
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:9604
GenAtlas
PTGS1
GeneCards
PTGS1
GenBank Gene Database
M31822
GenBank Protein Database
387018
Guide to Pharmacology
1375
UniProt Accession
PGH1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:9605
GenAtlas
PTGS2
GeneCards
PTGS2
GenBank Gene Database
L15326
GenBank Protein Database
291988
Guide to Pharmacology
1376
UniProt Accession
PGH2_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:13446
GeneCards
SLC2A9
UniProt Accession
GTR9_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10970
GenAtlas
hROAT1
GeneCards
SLC22A6
GenBank Gene Database
AF057039
GenBank Protein Database
3831566
Guide to Pharmacology
1025
UniProt Accession
S22A6_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:10946
GeneCards
SLC20A1
UniProt Accession
S20A1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:799
GenAtlas
ATP1A1
GeneCards
ATP1A1
GenBank Gene Database
D00099
GenBank Protein Database
219942
UniProt Accession
AT1A1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:800
GeneCards
ATP1A2
UniProt Accession
AT1A2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:801
GeneCards
ATP1A3
UniProt Accession
AT1A3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:14073
GeneCards
ATP1A4
UniProt Accession
AT1A4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:804
GeneCards
ATP1B1
UniProt Accession
AT1B1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:805
GeneCards
ATP1B2
UniProt Accession
AT1B2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:806
GeneCards
ATP1B3
UniProt Accession
AT1B3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4026
GenAtlas
FXYD2
GeneCards
FXYD2
GenBank Gene Database
U50743
GenBank Protein Database
1575004
UniProt Accession
ATNG_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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