Dosage forms of oral mesalazine and their clinical use

Abstract

Mesalazine or 5-aminosalicylic acid is important substance which is used in therapy of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), like ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). On the market, various mesalazine formulations for local (supositoria, rectal foam and enema) and for systemic administration (covered tablets, slow releasing tablets or slow releasing granulates) are available. Some differences between mesalazine formulations are enabling higher flexibility for clinical practice to choose the optimal drug in terms of distribution active drug according to disease activity and location. The pharmacokinetic profile of various mesalazine formulations and impact on the clinical practice are discussed in the text. Keywords inflammatory bowel disease, mesalazine, ulcerative colitis, pharmacokinetics