Olsalazine Sodium 250mg Suppliers & Bulk Manufacturers

Available Forms: Capsules

Available Strengths: 250mg

Reference Brands: Dipentum (USA/EU)

Category: Gastrointestinal Drugs

Olsalazine is an aminosalicylate used to treat and maintain remission of ulcerative colitis. It works by reducing inflammation in the colon, converting into mesalamine in the intestine. It is commonly prescribed for patients intolerant to sulfasalazine and helps manage symptoms such as diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain.

Product Description:

Olsalazine sodium is two molecules of mesalazine (5-aminosalicylic acid) joined by an azo bond. The dimer passes intact through the stomach and small bowel. In the colon, bacterial azoreductases split the bond and release two molecules of mesalazine, which act topically on the inflamed colonic mucosa. No carrier molecule is involved, so each gram delivers nearly a gram of active mesalazine.

It is used to maintain remission in ulcerative colitis, and particularly in patients who cannot tolerate sulfasalazine. Its characteristic problem is watery diarrhoea, caused by olsalazine stimulating secretion in the small bowel; this affects a notable minority of patients and is reduced by taking doses with food and increasing slowly. Other adverse effects follow the 5-ASA class: headache, rash, rare interstitial nephritis, which is why renal function is monitored, and rare blood disorders, pancreatitis and myocarditis.

Sourcing notes. Supplied from a very narrow manufacturing base and discontinued in several markets, so availability is the main issue. Buyers will often find delayed-release mesalazine or balsalazide is the realistic, locally registered alternative. Where olsalazine is specifically needed, named-patient import may be the route. Capsule manufacture is conventional.