This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

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.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.