AstraZeneca’s new gout drug gets approval

AstraZeneca's Zurampic has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat high levels of uric acid in the blood. It has been granted approval when used in combination with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, a type of drug approved to reduce the production of uric acid in the body for hyperuricemia associated with gout.

Uric acid usually dissolves in the blood then passes through the kidneys and out of the body in urine. If it builds up in the blood, it can develop into a condition called hyperuricemia. People with the condition may develop gout if uric acid forms crystals in the body.

Zurampic inhibits the function of transporter proteins involved in uric acid reabsorption in the kidney, to help the kidney excrete uric acid. The drug has a boxed warning detailing the risk for acute kidney failure, which is more common when used without an XOI and with higher-than-approved doses of Zurampic.