| Item |
Information |
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Drug Groups
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approved |
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Description
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3-Mercapto-D-valine. The most characteristic degradation product of the penicillin antibiotics. It is used as an antirheumatic and as a chelating agent in Wilson's disease. [PubChem] |
| Indication |
For treatment of Wilson's disease, cystinuria and active rheumatoid arthritis. |
| Pharmacology |
Penicillamine is a chelating agent used in the treatment of Wilson's disease. It is also used to reduce cystine excretion in cystinuria and to treat patients with severe, active rheumatoid arthritis unresponsive to conventional therapy. Penicillamine is used as a form of immunosuppression to treat rheumatoid arthritis. It works by reducing numbers of T-lymphocytes, inhibiting macrophage function, decreasing IL-1, decreasing rheumatoid factor, and preventing collagen from cross-linking. Its use in Wilson's disease, a rare genetic disorder of copper metabolism, relies on its binding to accumulated copper and elimination through urine. |
| Affected Organisms |
| • |
Humans and other mammals |
|
| Biotransformation |
Hepatic |
| Absorption |
rapidly but incompletely |
| Half Life |
1 hour |
| Protein Binding |
>80% (bound to plasma proteins) |
| Elimination |
Excretion is mainly renal, mainly as disulfides. |
| References |
| • |
WALSHE JM: Penicillamine, a new oral therapy for Wilson's disease. Am J Med. 1956 Oct;21(4):487-95.
[Pubmed]
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| • |
Walshe JM: The story of penicillamine: a difficult birth. Mov Disord. 2003 Aug;18(8):853-9.
[Pubmed]
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| • |
Gong Y, Frederiksen SL, Gluud C: D-penicillamine for primary biliary cirrhosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004 Oct 18;(4):CD004789.
[Pubmed]
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| • |
Suarez-Almazor ME, Spooner C, Belseck E: Penicillamine for rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000;(2):CD001460.
[Pubmed]
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| • |
Munro R, Capell HA: Penicillamine. Br J Rheumatol. 1997 Jan;36(1):104-9.
[Pubmed]
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| External Links |
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