Propylthiouracil

Propylthiouracil
Clinical data
Other names6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP)
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa682465
Pregnancy
category
Routes of
administration		By mouth
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • US: WARNING[2]
  • In general: ℞ (Prescription only)
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability80%-95%
Metabolism?
Elimination half-life2 hours
Excretion?
Identifiers
  • 6-propyl-2-sulfanylpyrimidin-4-one
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.000.095 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC7H10N2OS
Molar mass170.23 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
Melting point219 to 221 °C (426 to 430 °F)
  • S=C1N/C(=C\C(=O)N1)CCC
  • InChI=1S/C7H10N2OS/c1-2-3-5-4-6(10)9-7(11)8-5/h4H,2-3H2,1H3,(H2,8,9,10,11) checkY
  • Key:KNAHARQHSZJURB-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  (verify)

Propylthiouracil (PTU) is a medication used to treat hyperthyroidism.[3] This includes hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease and toxic multinodular goiter.[3] In a thyrotoxic crisis it is generally more effective than methimazole.[3] Otherwise it is typically only used when methimazole, surgery, and radioactive iodine is not possible.[3] It is taken by mouth.[3]

Common side effects include itchiness, hair loss, parotid swelling, vomiting, muscle pains, numbness, and headache.[3] Other severe side effects include liver problems and low blood cell counts.[3] Use during pregnancy may harm the baby.[3] Propylthiouracil is in the antithyroid family of medications.[4] It works by decreasing the amount of thyroid hormone produced by the thyroid gland and blocking the conversion of thyroxine (T4) to triiodothyronine (T3).[3]

Propylthiouracil came into medical use in the 1940s.[5] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[6]

  1. ^ "Updates to the Prescribing Medicines in Pregnancy database". Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). 12 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  2. ^ "FDA-sourced list of all drugs with black box warnings (Use Download Full Results and View Query links.)". nctr-crs.fda.gov. FDA. Retrieved 22 Oct 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Propylthiouracil". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  4. ^ British national formulary : BNF 69 (69 ed.). British Medical Association. 2015. p. 493. ISBN 9780857111562.
  5. ^ De Groot LJ, Jameson JL (2010). Endocrinology Adult and Pediatric: The Thyroid Gland. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. e202. ISBN 978-0323221535. Archived from the original on 2016-12-26.
  6. ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.