Dipentum (olsalazine sodium) / Viatris, UCB - LARVOL DELTA

Drug-Induced Pancreatitis Across UC Therapeutics: A Real-World Pharmacovigilance Study (ACG 2026) - " FAERS was queried for reports of pancreatitis associated with UC treatments including immunomodulators (azathioprine, mercaptopurine, methotrexate, tacrolimus), 5-aminosalicylates (mesalamine, balsalazide, olsalazine, sulfasalazine), anti-TNF agents (adalimumab, infliximab, golimumab, certolizumab pegol), integrin inhibitors (vedolizumab, natalizumab), IL-12/23 inhibitors (ustekinumab, risankizumab, guselkumab), JAK inhibitors (tofacitinib, upadacitinib), and S1P modulators (ozanimod, etrasimod). 83,046 reports with 612 pancreatitis cases were analyzed. Significantly elevated risk was observed with azathioprine (ROR 4.38, 95% CI 3.56-5.38), mesalamine (ROR 2.32, 95% CI 1.87-2.89), and infliximab (ROR 1.47, 95% CI 1.21-1.80; all p< 0.0001). Reduced risk was identified with adalimumab (ROR 0.60, 95% CI 0.49-0.74), vedolizumab (ROR 0.69, 95% CI 0.51-0.93), and ustekinumab (ROR 0.13, 95% CI 0.02-0.94)."

Adverse events • Clinical • Real-world • Real-world evidence • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Pancreatitis • Ulcerative Colitis • IL12A • ROR1

Herpes Zoster Infection as an Adverse Reaction to Treatments for Ulcerative Colitis: A Review of Reports to the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) (ACG 2026) - "Reports of ADRs of all FDA approved UC therapies including mesalamine, sulfasalazine, balsalazide, olsalazine, methotrexate, azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab, golimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, mirikizumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, ozanimod, etrasimod, tofacitinib, and upadacitinib along with combination infliximab with methotrexate, infliximab with azathioprine, adalimumab with azathioprine, and golimumab with azathioprine were reviewed. Table 1 displays the total FAERS reports of ADRs and reported HZ infection in patients treated for UC. The JAK inhibitor tofacitinib showed increased risk of HZ with 58 total reports (ROR 2.79). In addition, methotrexate (ROR 1.83), azathioprine (ROR 1.74), 6-mercaptopurine (ROR 2.4), infliximab (ROR 2.49), and combination therapies of infliximab with methotrexate (ROR 2.61) and infliximab with azathioprine (ROR 2.91) demonstrated increased risk."

Adverse events • Review • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Herpes Zoster • Immunology • Infectious Disease • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Ulcerative Colitis • Varicella Zoster • ROR1

Metal-free nitroxide radical-based theranostic agent for MRI-guided therapy of ulcerative colitis. (PubMed, Mater Today Bio) - "Herein, we synthesized a TEMPO-grafted block copolymer that self-assembles into nanoparticles encapsulating olsalazine (OS) to create [email protected] studies revealed that TBATM@OS modulates TNF signaling pathways, restores intestinal barrier homeostasis, and balances gut microbiota. This bifunctional nanoagent provides a therapeutic strategy for imaging and sustained alleviation of colon inflammation."

Journal • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Ulcerative Colitis

Exploring the potential of direct electricity-driven synthesis of mesalazine-tetramer and olsalazine, an anti-inflammatory drug. (PubMed, RSC Adv) - "In this work, based on experimental results and theoretical calculations using density functional theory (DFT), a deeper insight into the electronic structures of the intermediates was provided, and the preferred reaction pathways were confirmed. This electrochemical approach offers a controllable and efficient method for OSZ synthesis, reducing operational complexity while enhancing reaction selectivity."

Journal

Efficient Preparation of pH-Sensitive Core-Shell Drug-Loaded Hydrogel Microcapsules and Their Application in Ulcerative Colitis Treatment. (PubMed, Gels) - "Olsalazine sodium was encapsulated in the microcapsules, allowing for pH-responsive drug release in colon tissue for UC treatment in mice...The improved therapeutic efficacy is linked to precise localization in inflamed tissue, reducing systemic exposure and off-target effects. Overall, in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that this microcapsule system provides a promising alternative to existing UC drug delivery systems."

Journal • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Ulcerative Colitis

Two birds with one stone: Charge flip assisted colon-targeting hybrid nanoplatform for both drug delivery and proinflammatory factor scavenging. (PubMed, Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces) - "Importantly, it can selectively release the loaded aminosalicylate prodrug olsalazine sodium (OLZ) in simulated colonic fluid while regulating macrophage polarization by binding and scavenging proinflammatory anionic cfDNA through electrostatic interaction with the exposed cationic PEI...Benefiting from its satisfactory attributes, this nanoplatform has been successfully applied in the treatment of colitis in a mouse model, demonstrating a significant protective effect on the intestinal mucosa. These results confirmed that it is promising for better IBD management to employ the synergistic intervention strategy integrating colon-targeting drug therapy and proinflammatory cfDNA scavenging."

Journal • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Oral Cobalt Coordination Microparticles for Targeted Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment. (PubMed, ACS Appl Bio Mater) - "In this study, a hypoxia-responsive drug delivery platform was designed using Co2+ and olsalazine (OL) as the building blocks, followed by coating with dopamine-modified hyaluronic acid (HA-DA), yielding CoOL-HA-DA...Both in vitro and in vivo results show that the CoOL-HA-DA improved the sustained release of 5-ASA, demonstrating its potent efficacy in IBD treatment with reduced side effects. Collectively, CoOL-HA-DA, as a hypoxia-responsive drug delivery platform, provides another medical approach for IBD and other gut disease management."

Journal • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Hepatology • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease

A MOF-in-MOF nanoplatform for photothermal/chemodynamic therapy that enhances antitumor immunity through targeted suppression of the COX-2/PGE2 axis. (PubMed, J Nanobiotechnology) - "The comprises an olsalazine (Olsa)-based copper metal-organic framework (Olsa-MOF) that integrates intrinsic anti-inflammatory properties and enhanced chemodynamic performance...This coordinated action amplifies ICD‑mediated antitumor immunity, leading to a tumor regression rate of 84.0% in vivo. By integrating precision targeting, stimulus-responsive drug release, and immunometabolic reprogramming, this work moves beyond conventional treatment paradigms and establishes an innovative platform for next‑generation cancer therapy."

Journal • Oncology • PD-L1

Systematic Druggable Genome-Wide Analysis Identifies Therapeutic Targets for Aging: A Mendelian Randomization Study. (PubMed, Health Sci Rep) - "Drug repurposing analysis supports that cardiac glycosides, Bisacodyl, Olsalazine, and Tegoprazan might be potential therapeutics for aging by inhibiting ATP1B3. Our research indicates that ATP1B3, VKORC1, SLC5A11, HNRNPA1, and SMN2 are potential targets for antiaging therapies. These findings could help prioritize the development of aging-related drugs."

Journal • Aesthetic Medicine • SLC5A1 • SMN2

Physiological and Putative Organic Cation Transporter Expression Response to Alizarin Dye Exposure in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes. (PubMed, Insects) - "aegypti were injected with a blood meal size bolus of saline containing the xenobiotics Alizarin Yellow GG, Alizarin Yellow R, and Olsalazine and then clearance was quantified...aegypti xenobiotic transport remain largely uncharacterized, but the results of this study are an important step in expanding knowledge of OCT(N)s in mosquitoes and understanding mosquito physiology. Targeting these proteins may offer new avenues for mosquito control."

Journal

Evaluating rat and canine microbiota models for predicting human colonic prodrug metabolism. (PubMed, Eur J Pharm Sci) - "Degradation kinetics of sulfasalazine, balsalazide, and olsalazine were first assessed. When benchmarked against published human in vitro data, rat degradation rates were closely aligned with human values, particularly for sulfasalazine (rat: K = 0.025 min⁻¹; human: K = 0.021 min⁻¹) and balsalazide (rat: K = 0.015 min⁻¹; human: K = 0.009 min⁻¹). These findings highlight rat faecal material as a practical and translationally relevant model for microbiota-sensitive prodrug metabolism, offering a low-impact alternative to invasive sampling and larger animal studies."

Journal • Preclinical

A clinically inspired olsalazine-based metal-organic framework enables a universal nanodrugs platform for diverse disease. (PubMed, J Colloid Interface Sci) - "A spherical Olsa-based Cu/Fe metal-organic framework (MOF) was developed for colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy to encapsulate doxorubicin (DOX) and address the intrinsic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) deficiency in tumor microenvironments through a self-catalytic H2O2 regeneration mechanism. This spatiotemporally controlled release profile resulted in significant downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and complete restoration of tight junction protein expression. This study pioneers a transformative nanocarrier that revolutionizes therapeutic nanocarrier design through three innovations: (i) the synergistic integration of therapeutic and nanocarrier functionalities using intrinsically bioactive molecules, (ii) universal disease adaptability for precision intervention across multiple pathological conditions through modular coordination switching, and (iii) clinically validated, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved molecules with proven biocompatibility."

IO biomarker • Journal • Colorectal Cancer • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Oncology • Solid Tumor • Ulcerative Colitis

Cannabidiol Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Olsalazine and Cyclosporine in a Murine Model of Colitis. (PubMed, Int J Mol Sci) - "Combination therapies significantly ameliorated colitis, reducing DAI, MPO activity, and inflammatory cytokines, while restoring colon length and GLP-1 levels-without inducing liver or kidney toxicity. These findings demonstrate that combining a low dose of CBD with standard IBD drugs enhances therapeutic efficacy while minimizing side effects, supporting its integration into future combination strategies for more effective and safer IBD management."

Journal • Preclinical • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Hematological Disorders • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • MPO

A Colon-Targeted Oral Nanosystem Disrupts the Inflammatory Loop in Enteric Glia to Alleviate Ulcerative Colitis. (PubMed, ACS Nano) - "Herein, we develop a S100B inhibitor pentamidine (PTM)-loaded olsalazine-based nanoneedle, Zn2(Olsa)/PTM, to break this vicious cycle and alleviate ulcerative colitis...The oral administration of ZOP@Eud considerably ameliorates disease severity and restores mucosal barrier integrity and immune homeostasis in a murine ulcerative colitis model, which is evidenced by heightened expression of tight junction proteins and reduced levels of colonic proinflammatory S100B and cytokines. These findings suggest that nanosystems targeting EGCs offer a promising approach for mitigating gut inflammation."

Journal • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Ulcerative Colitis • S100B • S100B

An Olsalazine-Loaded Hollow Mesoporous Prussian Blue/Polydopamine Nanozyme Alleviates Anxiety/Depression-like Behavior and Enhances Brain Neural Activity in Colitis Mice. (PubMed, ACS Appl Mater Interfaces) - "As the observed modulation of the dysfunction of neuroinflammation and neuronal activation of CA1 hippocampus, Olsa@HMPB/PDA NPs treatment alleviated anxiety/depression-like behavior in DSS mice. Overall, this nanozyme established a paradigm in combined IBD therapy with psychological comorbidities."

Journal • Preclinical • CNS Disorders • Depression • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Mental Retardation • Metabolic Disorders • Mood Disorders • Psychiatry

Oral olsalazine/ellagic acid/ZnCl2-modified in situ-forming hydrogels alleviates anxiety/depression-like symptoms and brain neural activity in colitis mice. (PubMed, Mater Today Bio) - "We demonstrated that the oral administration of drug-loaded in situ-forming hydrogel with excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activities, cytocompatibility, intestinal retention capacity of the drug, significantly enhanced the IBD therapeutic outcomes, and relieve accompanying depression-like symptoms in colitis mice. Overall, this designed in situ-forming hydrogel oral delivery system will open up new pathway in combined gastrointestinal therapy and psychological comorbidities for IBD patients, especially those with dysphagia."

Journal • Preclinical • CNS Disorders • Depression • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Mood Disorders • Psychiatry

Persistence and Adherence Among Patients with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria Initiating Advanced Therapies: A Real-World, Claims Database Study (AAD 2025) - " Using IQVIA PharMetrics claims data, patients (12–64 years) who newly initiated AT (systemic immunosuppressant [SI] [cyclosporine, tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, azathioprine], systemic anti-inflammatories [SAI] [colchicine, dapsone, hydroxychloroquine, olsalazine, sulfasalazine] or omalizumab; first dispensation=index date) within 14 days of a diagnosis code for CSU between January 2021 and December 2022 were identified. Persistence and adherence to AT in CSU were suboptimal, highlighting the need for additional treatment options."

Adherence • Claims database • Clinical • Metastases • Real-world • Real-world evidence • Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria • Dermatology • Immunology • Urticaria

A Rapid and Reliable Absorbance Assay to Identify Drug-Drug Interactions with Thiopurine Drugs. (PubMed, Metabolites) - "With purified TPMT on hand and the absorbance activity assay, we confirmed several compounds that inhibit TPMT, and the results were comparable to a mass spectral assay that measured 6-MP methylation. Understanding the impact of co-administered drugs on TPMT activity will improve the safety and efficacy of thiopurine-based treatment regimens."

Journal • Immunology • Oncology

TESTING MACHINE LEARNING WITH FINNISH REGISTER DATA TO PREDICT NON-RESPONSE TO CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (UEGW 2024) - "CT failure outcomes (within one year from CT initiation) for CD, UC, and combined cohorts.CT failure outcomesCD, nCD, %UC, nUC, %Total, nTotal, %Prescription for biologics17185.6%8282.7%1,5463,6%IBD-related surgery8036.3%7282.4%1,5313.6%90-day gap in CT medication (5-ASA2, IM3)2,33918.2%5,32517.6%7,66417.8%≥2 corticosteroid4 prescriptions6,34749.5%14,30247.4%20,64948.0%IBD-related inpatient stay1,33910.4%2,1607.2%3,4998.1%IBD-related ED visit1931.5%3981.3%5911.4%Any of the above8,22364.2%18,45361.1%26,67662.0%1adalimumab, vedolizumab, infliximab, golimumab, ustekinumab, and tofacitinib; 2mesalazine, olsalazine, and sulfasalazine; 3methotrexate, mercaptopurine, azathioprine, cyclosporine, and metronidazole; 4prednisolone, hydrocortisone, budesonide, methylprednisolone, prednisone, and dexamethasone. Data quality is critical to build high-performance models. Even though Finnish registries provide access to comprehensive longitudinal data allowing the generation of..."

Clinical • Machine learning • CNS Disorders • Crohn's disease • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Psychiatry • Rheumatology • Schizophrenia • Ulcerative Colitis

Association of Intestinal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Target Genes with Psychiatric Disorders: A Mendelian Randomization Study (WCPG 2024) - ": We uncovered a causal link between TPMT (a target of olsalazine) expression in the amygdala and bipolar disorder (BD) risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.08; P = 4.29 × 10−4). This association was observed even when the sigmoid colon and whole blood eQTL were considered as exposures. Colocalization analysis revealed a shared genetic variant (rs11751561) between TPMT expression and BD, with a posterior probability of 61.6%."

Bipolar Disorder • CNS Disorders • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Mental Retardation • Mood Disorders • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder • Psychiatry • ACAT1

INTERVENTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF COMPLICATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE AND PERMANENT ILEOSTOMY FOR THE ENDOTRIAL CONSORTIUM: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW (UEGW 2024) - "This study highlights that the evidence base to inform care for patients with IBD and PI is almost non-existent. There is an urgent need for focused research in this area to inform evidence-based treatment decisions. The items identified in this review as well as knowledge gaps will inform consensus steps for development of future care pathways and expert guidelines.Table 1."

Clinical • Review • Crohn's disease • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Oncology • Ulcerative Colitis

CANNABIDIOL, WHEN COMBINED WITH OLSALAZINE, OFFERS A NOVEL TREATMENT APPROACH FOR ULCERATIVE COLITIS (UEGW 2024) - "While using CBD alone for treating colitis is ineffective, and high doses of olsalazine used in the clinics often come with adverse effects and lose effectiveness over time, our data show that combining low doses of CBD and olsalazine significantly reduces colitis without adverse effects. Therefore, the low-dose combination of CBD and olsalazine offers a promising novel treatment for ulcerative colitis."

Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Metabolic Disorders • Pain • Ulcerative Colitis • MPO

5-AMINOSALICYLATES FOR PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE OR QUIESCENT CROHN’S DISEASE: AN UMBRELLA REVIEW OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (UEGW 2024) - "One study compared 6-MP to 5-ASA, one study compared AZA to sulfasalazine- the two studies were pooled together in meta-analysisAdultsMaintenance6-MP: 1 mg kg/ d Methotrexate: 10 mg/wk; 76 weeks AZA: 1- 2.5 mg/kg/ d5-ASA: 3g/d; 76 wkOnly two RCTs; no statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients who maintained remission between AZA (1.0 to 2.5 mg/kg/day) or 6-MP (1.0 mg/day) and mesalamine (3 g/day) or sulfasalazine (0.5 g/15 kg/day) therapy.NMAMoja, 2015Oct 2014MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane library and clinicaltrials.gov25 RCTs (induction =11, maintenance n=14)Budesonide or mesalamine vs placebo or against each other in active or quiescent CDAdultsBothMesalamine: 1 - 4 g/d; 6 wk for induction, 6 mo for maintenanceBudesonide: 3 -18 mg/d; 6 wk for induction, 6 mo for maintenancePlacebo or mesalamine or budesonide in different dosesBudesonide 9mg/d or higher for induction of remission in active mild-to-moderate CD and 6mg/d for maintenance of remission..."

Clinical • Review • Crohn's disease • Gastroenterology • Immunology • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Pediatrics

An Innovative Inhibitor with a New Chemical Moiety Aimed at Biliverdin IXβ Reductase for Thrombocytopenia and Resilient against Cellular Degradation. (PubMed, Pharmaceutics) - "During the pursuit of inhibitors targeting BLVRB, olsalazine (OSA) became apparent as one of the most potent candidates...Furthermore, we have found that both OSK and OSA inhibit BLVRB, regardless of the presence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, unlike other known inhibitors. This discovery opens new avenues for investigating the roles of BLVRB in blood disorders, including thrombocytopenia."

Journal • Hematological Disorders • Thrombocytopenia

Thermodynamic modeling of cooperative CO2 adsorption on porous materials (ACS-Fall 2024) - "For example, such behavior is observed during CO2 adsorption on diamine-appended olsalazine MOFs which show potential for direct air capture applications...The model unambiguously reveals atomistic details such as the number of diamine molecules per cooperative network, the energy of cooperation, and the translational degrees of freedom of the bound adsorbate. CO2 adsorption isotherms for the material ee-2–Mg2(olz) at several temperatures fitted to a temperature-dependent global model and the corresponding global model equations."