sulfasalazine

Sulfasalazine is a small molecule drug traditionally used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis, currently being repurposed by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It acts as a potent and specific inhibitor of the xCT (SLC7A11) cystine/glutamate antiporter, which mediates the uptake of cystine in exchange for glutamate. By blocking cystine import, sulfasalazine depletes intracellular glutathione levels, leading to increased oxidative stress and ferroptosis in AML cells, which are particularly dependent on this pathway. In the SALMA Phase I/II clinical trial, sulfasalazine is being evaluated in combination with standard induction chemotherapy (idarubicin and cytarabine) in newly diagnosed AML patients aged 60 years or older, following preclinical evidence that it sensitizes leukemic cells to chemotherapy, especially in NPM1-mutated cases.

Brand names

AzulfidineSalazopyrinSulfazine

Other names

Salicylazosulfapyridine5-[4-(2-pyridylsulfamoyl)phenylazo]salicylic acid