Sulfasalazine

Sulfasalazine, sold under the brand name Azulfidine among others, is a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease. It is considered by some to be a first-line treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. It is taken by mouth or can be administered rectally. Significant side effects occur in about 25% of people. Commonly these include loss of appetite, nausea, headache, and rash. Severe side effects include bone marrow suppression, liver problems, Stevens–Johnson syndrome, and kidney problems. It should not be used in people allergic to aspirin or sulfonamide. Use during pregnancy appears to be safe for the baby. Sulfasalazine is in the disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) family of medications. It is unclear exactly how it works. One proposed mechanism is the inhibition of prostaglandins, resulting in local anti-inflammatory effects in the colon. The medication is broken down by intestinal bacteria into sulfapyridine and 5-aminosalicylic acid. Sulfasalazine was approved for medical use in the United States in 1950. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Sulfasalazine is available as a generic medication. In 2020, it was the 284th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.