DMARDs It is a Aminosalicylates
Used to treat Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and Rheumatoid arthritis
First line for Rheumatoid arthritis
Significant side affects: bone marrow suppression, liver problems, Stevens–Johnson syndrome, and kidney problems.
Mechanism: Inhibition of prostaglandins, resulting in local anti-inflammatory effects in the colon.
Around 90% of a dose of sulfasalazine reaches the colon, where most of it is metabolized by bacteria into sulfapyridine and 5-aminosalicylic acid. Both metabolites are active; most of the sulfapyridine is absorbed and then further metabolized, but most mesalazine is not, and remains in the colon