Small molecule
PubChem CID 6167
Colchicine
Colcrys
- Mechanism of action
- Tubulin-binding microtubule inhibitor
- In plain language
- Calms gout inflammation by jamming the internal machinery immune cells use to move and react, without touching uric acid levels at all.
- How it works
- Colchicine binds tubulin at the colchicine-binding site — distinct from the taxane site paclitaxel uses and the vinca site vincristine uses — and inhibits beta-tubulin polymerization into microtubules. By disrupting this cytoskeletal machinery, colchicine prevents the activation, degranulation, and chemotactic migration of neutrophils, and interferes with intracellular assembly of the inflammasome complex that mediates interleukin-1beta activation. This anti-inflammatory action is independent of uric acid metabolism: colchicine does not lower serum uric acid levels, and should not be confused with urate-lowering agents such as allopurinol or febuxostat.
- Therapeutic applications
- Per FDA-approved labeling, Colcrys (colchicine) is indicated for prophylaxis and treatment of gout flares in adults, and for Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) in adults and children 4 years of age or older. A separate low-dose formulation, Lodoco (colchicine 0.5 mg), was approved by the FDA in 2023 to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, and cardiovascular death in adults with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors.
- Class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- Anti-gout / Anti-inflammatory
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