Pyrimethamine (Daraprim) is a medication used for protozoal infections. It is commonly used as an antimalarial drug (for both treatment and prevention of malaria), and is also used (combined with sulfadiazine) in the treatment of Toxoplasma gondii infections in immunocompromised patients, such as HIV-positive individuals. It is also currently being evaluated in clinical trials as a treatment for ALS. In 2011, researchers have discovered that Pyrimethamine can increase ß-hexosaminidase activity, thus slowing down the progression of Late-Onset Tay-Sachs disease.
Product name: Pyrimethamine
Other Name: Pirimetamina
Molecular Formula: C12H13ClN4
Cas Number: 58-14-0
Einecs Number: 200-364-2
Specification: USP/BP
Expiry Time: 4years
Function
1. Pyrimethamine is typically given with a sulfonamide and folinic acid:
A: sulfonamides inhibit dihydropteroate synthetase, an enzyme that participates in folic acid synthesis from para-aminobenzoic acid. Hence, sulfonamides work synergistically with pyrimethamine by blocking a different enzyme needed for folic acid synthesis.
B: folinic acid (leucovorin) is a folic acid derivative that is converted to tetrahydrofolate (the primary active form of folic acid) in vivo without relying on dihydrofolate reductase. By doing so, folinic acid reduces side effects related to folate deficiency.
2. Pyrimethamine has been extensively used as monotherapy in mass drug administrations in Asia and South America, which is likely to have contributed to the emergence and spread of pyrimethamine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains.
