Prescribing-label excerpts
Sulfasalazine
Reference for: Sulfasalazine. Source presentation: tablet. Source route: oral.
The source label presents its clinical-pharmacology findings together. These selected passages retain the source’s study context; the full label provides the complete discussion.
Clinical pharmacology
The mode of action of sulfasalazine (SSZ) or its metabolites, 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and sulfapyridine (SP), may be related to the anti-inflammatory and/or immunomodulatory properties that have been observed in animal and in vitro models, to its affinity for connective tissue, and/or to the relatively high concentration it reaches in serous fluids, the liver and intestinal walls, as demonstrated in autoradiographic studies in animals. In ulcerative colitis, clinical studies utilizing rectal administration of SSZ, SP, and 5-ASA have indicated that the major therapeutic action may reside in the 5-ASA moiety.
In vivo studies have indicated that the absolute bioavailability of orally administered SSZ is less than 15% for parent drug. In the intestine, SSZ is metabolized by intestinal bacteria to SP and 5-ASA. Of the two species, SP is relatively well absorbed from the intestine and highly metabolized, while 5-ASA is much less well absorbed.
Selected passages from the cited U.S. prescribing label. The studies concern the source product and populations named in each passage; they do not establish Walter-product bioequivalence, an approved indication, or the kinetics of another fixed combination. Tables and the full prescribing information remain available in the source.
Source: DailyMed: Sulfasalazine — tablet
Reference accessed . Label revision: 2026-08-25.
