Gold, in ancient times, was used to treat disease. There are stories that Pliny, in the first century AD, reported that gold could be used to heal fistulas (an abnormal connection between two body parts) and hemorrhoids. In the 1200s Arnald of Villanova advocated gold to “help vision and cleansing the substances of the heart and the fountain of life.” Mostly, gold was researched in ancient times to discover what materials could be turned into gold and other substances of value, this was called alchemy.
The modern use of gold compounds was investigated early in the 19th century as a treatment for tuberculosis and syphilis. Robert Koch noticed that gold cyanide was effective against the tuberculosis organism and led researchers in Europe to investigate gold as an antimicrobial. At the time, it was thought that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was caused by microorganisms and researchers found that gold gave relief to these patients. This is how gold became used for RA.
Today gold is used as an ingredient in a preparation called auranofin, brand name Ridaura. This medicine contains a gold salt and is labeled to treat rheumatoid arthritis. It was approved by the FDA in 1985 and was produced by Sebela Pharmaceuticals of Ireland. Auranofin comes in a 3mg capsule for oral use. It is not used as a first-line treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) anymore but is still available as a second-line therapy. Gold salts were produced as injectable products for RA but since the oral form became available these are no longer used often. Other drugs you may have heard of to treat RA are Enbrel, hydroxychloroquine, Humira, Remicade, Rituxan, and Orencia, all of which do not contain gold.
The research on auranofin continues as medical science looks at older drugs to repurpose them for different disease states. The list of research areas with auranofin includes cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, HIV/AIDS, and parasitic and bacterial infections. The main adverse reactions to auranofin are skin rashes and intestinal problems. There are, also, blood count reactions that will need to be monitored but are relatively rare. In addition, the liver and kidneys will need to be tested. There is also a risk of bleeding especially in the gums.
Ridaura (auranofin) is currently sold by a Canadian pharmaceutical company called Xediton and Braintree, a division of Sebela Pharmaceuticals.
Prosper and be in health.
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