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Mesalazine

Authoring team

MESALAZINE

This is 5-aminosalycyclic acid. It is used as an alternative to sulphasalazine.

Indications include:

  • patients who do not tolerate sulphasalazine it has been shown that 5-ASA analogues are as effective as sulphasalazine in preventing relapses of ulcerative colitis
  • patient not allergic to sulphonamides
  • some recommend the newer preparations such as mesalazine rather than suphasalazine to be used men with inflammatory bowel disease who wish to start a family (sulphalazine causes reversible infertility) (1)

Different preparations:

Mesalazine = 5 -aminosalicylate

  • delayed release Salofalk and Asacol - resin which only dissolves when pH exceeds 6 and 7, respectively, so release of 5-ASA only begins when the drug reaches the ileum (the terminal ileum in the case of Asacol), and continues in the colon
  • Pentasa - timed release - formulated as microgranules which release 5-ASA gradually during passage along the gut - release begins more proximally than with pH-dependent coatings

The summary of product characteristics should be consulted before prescribing this drug.

Reference:

  • Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (2002), 39 (12), 91-95.

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