Tolbutamide 500mg tablets
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Tolbutamide is an oral antihyperglycemic agent used for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).
Genetic variations that may affect drug response
1 known genetic variation may influence how your body responds to Tolbutamide 500mg tablets.Gene involved: CYP2C9
These are known genetic variations. They don't mean the medicine won't work for you — speak to your doctor or a pharmacogenomics specialist for personalised advice. Source: DrugBank (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
Report a side effect
Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
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.
View Drug Analysis Profile
Suspected adverse reactions reported for Tolbutamide
Browse all iDAP reports
Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles for all medicines
Report a side effect
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.
View EudraVigilance report
Suspected adverse reactions reported for Tolbutamide
About EudraVigilance
Learn about EU pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring
EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
13 branded products available
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Tolbutamide on the MHRA register
Tolbutamide 500mg tablets
Tolbutamide 500mg tablets
Tolbutamide 500mg tablets
Tolbutamide 500mg tablets
Tolbutamide 500mg tablets
Tolbutamide 500mg tablets
This is the NHS Drug Tariff indicative price used for reimbursement purposes. It may not reflect the price paid by patients or pharmacies.
View full Drug TariffSource: NHS Drug Tariff via NHSBSA. Derived from dm+d VMPP (Virtual Medicinal Product Pack) pricing data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
1.5 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
Tolbutamide
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.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
Pharmacy stock checkers
Search for this medicine at major UK pharmacy chains. These links open the retailer's own website — results depend on their current online catalogue.
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
7 hours
Mechanism
Sulfonylureas lower blood glucose in patients with NIDDM by directly stimulating…
Food interactions
2 warnings
Human targets
3 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
30-60 minutes
Half-life
7 hours
Protein binding
95%
Metabolism
Elimination
75-85%
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1585 interactions
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
Absorption is unaltered if taken with food but is increased with high pH.
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:9831708
Can form a sulfonylurea-sensitive but ATP-insensitive potassium channel with KCNJ8 (By similarity)
This channel is activated by internal ATP and can be blocked by external barium. In the kidney, probably plays a major role in potassium homeostasis
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:15521010 PMID:18367661 PMID:19685173 PMID:26320580 PMID:7896779 PMID:8914574 PMID:9835627
Primarily responsible for the absorption of dietary di- and tripeptides from the small intestinal lumen (By similarity). Mediates transepithelial transport of muramyl and N-formylated bacterial dipeptides contributing to recognition of pathogenic bacteria by the mucosal immune system PMID:15521010 PMID:9835627
PMID:19129463 PMID:7557095
Responsible for intestinal absorption of bile acids (By similarity). Transports dehydroepiandrosterone 3-sulfate (DHEAS), a major circulating steroid secreted by the adrenal cortex, as well as estrone 3-sulfate and 17beta-estradiol 17-O-(beta-D-glucuronate) .
PMID:11159893 PMID:12568656 PMID:19129463 PMID:23918469 PMID:25560245 PMID:9539145
Mediates apical uptake of all-trans-retinol (atROL) across human retinal pigment epithelium, which is essential to maintaining the integrity of the visual cycle and thus vision .
PMID:25560245
Involved in the uptake of clinically used drugs .
PMID:17301733 PMID:20686826 PMID:27777271
Capable of thyroid hormone transport (both T3 or 3,3',5'-triiodo-L-thyronine, and T4 or L-tyroxine) .
PMID:19129463 PMID:20358049
Also transports prostaglandin E2 .
PMID:19129463
Plays roles in blood-brain and -cerebrospinal fluid barrier transport of organic anions and signal mediators, and in hormone uptake by neural cells (By similarity). May also play a role in the reuptake of neuropeptides such as substance P/TAC1 and vasoactive intestinal peptide/VIP released from retinal neurons .
PMID:25132355
May play an important role in plasma and tissue distribution of the structurally diverse chemotherapeutic drugs methotrexate and paclitaxel .
PMID:23243220
Shows a pH-sensitive substrate specificity which may be ascribed to the protonation state of the binding site and leads to a stimulation of substrate transport in an acidic microenvironment .
PMID:19129463
Hydrogencarbonate/HCO3(-) acts as the probable counteranion that exchanges for organic anions .
PMID:19129463
May contribute to regulate the transport of organic compounds in testis across the blood-testis-barrier (Probable)
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:16434549 PMID:18367661 PMID:7756356
Transports neutral and anionic dipeptides with a proton to peptide stoichiometry of 2:1 or 3:1 (By similarity). In kidney, involved in the absorption of circulating di- and tripeptides from the glomerular filtrate .
PMID:7756356
Can also transport beta-lactam antibiotics, such as the aminocephalosporin cefadroxil, and other antiviral and anticancer drugs .
PMID:16434549
Transports the dipeptide-like aminopeptidase inhibitor bestatin (By similarity). Also able to transport carnosine .
PMID:31073693
Involved in innate immunity by promoting the detection of microbial pathogens by NOD-like receptors (NLRs) (By similarity).
Mediates transport of bacterial peptidoglycans across the plasma membrane or, in macrophages, the phagosome membrane: catalyzes the transport of certain bacterial peptidoglycans, such as muramyl dipeptide (MDP), the NOD2 ligand PMID:20406817
PMID:10873595 PMID:11159893 PMID:11932330 PMID:12724351 PMID:14610227 PMID:16908597 PMID:18501590 PMID:20507927 PMID:22201122 PMID:23531488 PMID:25132355 PMID:26383540 PMID:27576593 PMID:28408210 PMID:29871943 PMID:34628357
Responsible for the transport of estrone 3-sulfate (E1S) through the basal membrane of syncytiotrophoblast, highlighting a potential role in the placental absorption of fetal-derived sulfated steroids including the steroid hormone precursor dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) .
PMID:11932330 PMID:12409283
Also facilitates the uptake of sulfated steroids at the basal/sinusoidal membrane of hepatocytes, therefore accounting for the major part of organic anions clearance of liver .
PMID:11159893
Mediates the intestinal uptake of sulfated steroids .
PMID:12724351 PMID:28408210
Mediates the uptake of the neurosteroids DHEA-S and pregnenolone sulfate (PregS) into the endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier as the first step to enter the brain .
PMID:16908597 PMID:25132355
Also plays a role in the reuptake of neuropeptides such as substance P/TAC1 and vasoactive intestinal peptide/VIP released from retinal neurons .
PMID:25132355
May act as a heme transporter that promotes cellular iron availability via heme oxygenase/HMOX2 and independently of TFRC .
PMID:35714613
Also transports heme by-product coproporphyrin III (CPIII), and may be involved in their hepatic disposition .
PMID:26383540
Mediates the uptake of other substrates such as prostaglandins D2 (PGD2), E1 (PGE1) and E2 (PGE2), taurocholate, L-thyroxine, leukotriene C4 and thromboxane B2 (PubMed:10873595, PubMed:14610227, PubMed:19129463, PubMed:29871943, Ref.25). May contribute to regulate the transport of organic compounds in testis across the blood-testis-barrier (Probable). Shows a pH-sensitive substrate specificity which may be ascribed to the protonation state of the binding site and leads to a stimulation of substrate transport in an acidic microenvironment .
PMID:14610227 PMID:19129463 PMID:22201122
The exact transport mechanism has not been yet deciphered but most likely involves an anion exchange, coupling the cellular uptake of organic substrate with the efflux of an anionic compound .
PMID:19129463 PMID:20507927 PMID:26277985
Hydrogencarbonate/HCO3(-) acts as a probable counteranion that exchanges for organic anions .
PMID:19129463
Cytoplasmic glutamate may also act as counteranion in the placenta .
PMID:26277985
An inwardly directed proton gradient has also been proposed as the driving force of E1S uptake with a (H(+):E1S) stoichiometry of (1:1) PMID:20507927
Proteins that carry this drug through the body
PMID:19021548
Major calcium and magnesium transporter in plasma, binds approximately 45% of circulating calcium and magnesium in plasma (By similarity).
Potentially has more than two calcium-binding sites and might additionally bind calcium in a non-specific manner (By similarity). The shared binding site between zinc and calcium at residue Asp-273 suggests a crosstalk between zinc and calcium transport in the blood (By similarity). The rank order of affinity is zinc > calcium > magnesium (By similarity).
Binds to the bacterial siderophore enterobactin and inhibits enterobactin-mediated iron uptake of E.coli from ferric transferrin, and may thereby limit the utilization of iron and growth of enteric bacteria such as E.coli .
PMID:6234017
Does not prevent iron uptake by the bacterial siderophore aerobactin PMID:6234017
ATC V04CA01
ATC A10BB03
ATC G01AE10
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)
Tolbutamide
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
9563
ChemSpider
5304
BindingDB
50027886
Guide to Pharmacology
2415
ZINC
ZINC000001530703
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:59
GenAtlas
ABCC8
GeneCards
ABCC8
GenBank Gene Database
L78243
GenBank Protein Database
1374919
Guide to Pharmacology
2594
UniProt Accession
ABCC8_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:60
GenAtlas
ABCC9
GeneCards
ABCC9
GenBank Gene Database
AF061323
GenBank Protein Database
3127176
Guide to Pharmacology
2746
UniProt Accession
ABCC9_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6255
GenAtlas
KCNJ1
GeneCards
KCNJ1
GenBank Gene Database
U12541
GenBank Protein Database
529313
Guide to Pharmacology
429
UniProt Accession
KCNJ1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2623
GenAtlas
CYP2C9
GeneCards
CYP2C9
GenBank Gene Database
AY341248
Guide to Pharmacology
1326
UniProt Accession
CP2C9_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2622
GenAtlas
CYP2C8
GeneCards
CYP2C8
GenBank Gene Database
M17397
Guide to Pharmacology
1325
UniProt Accession
CP2C8_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2621
GeneCards
CYP2C19
GenBank Gene Database
M61854
GenBank Protein Database
181344
Guide to Pharmacology
1328
UniProt Accession
CP2CJ_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2620
GeneCards
CYP2C18
GenBank Gene Database
M61853
Guide to Pharmacology
1327
UniProt Accession
CP2CI_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:399
GenAtlas
ALB
GeneCards
ALB
GenBank Gene Database
V00494
GenBank Protein Database
28590
UniProt Accession
ALBU_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10920
GenAtlas
SLC15A1
GeneCards
SLC15A1
GenBank Gene Database
U13173
GenBank Protein Database
773588
Guide to Pharmacology
984
UniProt Accession
S15A1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10956
GeneCards
SLCO1A2
GenBank Gene Database
U21943
GenBank Protein Database
885978
Guide to Pharmacology
1219
UniProt Accession
SO1A2_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:10921
GenAtlas
SLC15A2
GeneCards
SLC15A2
GenBank Gene Database
S78203
GenBank Protein Database
999213
Guide to Pharmacology
985
UniProt Accession
S15A2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10962
GenAtlas
SLCO2B1
GeneCards
SLCO2B1
GenBank Gene Database
AB026256
GenBank Protein Database
5006263
Guide to Pharmacology
1224
UniProt Accession
SO2B1_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
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications: