allopurinol

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allopurinol

chemical compound

Also known as: 4-hydroxypyrazalopyrimidine

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 15, 2024 • Article History

Category: Science & Tech

Key People:: George Herbert Hitchings; Gertrude B. Elion

Related Topics:: gout

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allopurinol, drug used in the treatment of gout, a disease that is characterized by severe inflammation in one or more of the joints of the extremities. Allopurinol inhibits an enzyme that is necessary to form uric acid, a substance present in abnormally large amounts in the blood of persons with gout that forms solid deposits in the joints, the kidneys, and other tissues. The drug reduces the amount of uric acid produced by the body and fosters the resorption of solid deposits in the joints, thus improving joint function.

Allopurinol is mainly used to treat the severe, chronic forms of gout. Treatment with the drug ordinarily is expected to be continued for many years, if not indefinitely. Allopurinol is preferred over drugs such as probenecid or sulfinpyrazone because it decreases the amount of uric acid excreted in the urine and thus discourages the formation of uric acid kidney stones.