Tag: 6 mercaptopurine

In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other autoimmune conditions, immunosuppressant medications like azathioprine are critical for managing symptoms and maintaining remission. A lesser-known but closely related medication is the key to azathioprine's effectiveness, making understanding what is the sister drug to azathioprine a central part of grasping its pharmacology. The answer is 6-mercaptopurine, a crucial active metabolite that provides the therapeutic effect of both drugs.

Nobel laureates Gertrude Elion and George Hitchings, along with William Lange, synthesized azathioprine in 1956 as a derivative of their earlier discovery, 6-mercaptopurine. Their work answered the question of who discovered the drug azathioprine and fundamentally changed the approach to drug development.

While dietary insufficiency is a known cause, several therapeutic drugs can also provoke niacin deficiency, a condition that can lead to pellagra [1.3.1]. Understanding **what drugs cause niacin deficiency** is crucial for at-risk patients, including those on long-term treatments for tuberculosis or cancer.