Olsalazine

Overview
Olsalazine is an anti-inflammatory drug used in the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. It is sold under the name Dipentum.

The chemical name is 3,3' -azobis (6-hydroxybenzoate)salicylic acid. It is sold as the disodium salt.

Like Balsalazide, Olsalazine is believed to deliver Mesalazine, or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), past the small intestine, directly to the large intestine, which is that active site of disease in ulcerative colitis.

History
Olsalazine gained Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 1990.

Supply
The drug is supplied by UCB Pharma.

Other indications
The Australian biotech company Giaconda has developed a combination therapy for treat constipation-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome that uses olsalazine and the anti-gout drug colchicine.