Tetrathiomolybdate – a copper chelator for the treatment of Wilson disease, pulmonary fibrosis and other indications

PubMed, the Internet portal of biomedical and life sciences literature, indexed an interesting article, entitled Tetrathiomolybdate, a copper chelator for the treatment of Wilson disease, pulmonary fibrosis and other indications. (IDrugs. 2008 Aug;11(8):592-606.). Authors are Medici V Sturniolo GC from the University of California, Davis, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Med, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. Tetrathiomolybdate (TTM) is a copper chelator that has also demonstrated antiangiogenic, antifibrogenic and anti-inflammatory actions in preclinical studies. In a phase III clinical trial, TTM stabilized neurological function in patients with Wilson disease, causing significant recovery in 81% of patients at 3 years post initiation of therapy; a second phase III trial was ongoing at the time of publication. TTM is predicted to most likely find a niche in the therapy of Wilson disease, for which current treatment options are limited. To access the full abstract of the article, click here.