For those who suffer from Gout, the FDA has finally approved a new treatment.
After almost 200 years of common use, colchicine (Colcrys) has won FDA approval for treatment of acute flares of gout and familial Mediterranean fever. Colchicine, a compound derived from the dried seeds of the meadow saffron, has long been used to treat gout and is part of an FDA-approved combination product. But it had not been approved by the FDA as a standalone drug. Physicians have prescribed colchicine since 1810 for treating acute gout under an hourly dosing regimen that proved effective against the inflammatory disorder but often ended in gastrointestinal toxicity. FDA approval was based on a study that found that two doses an hour apart were equally effective at combating the condition with lower risk. As a result, the drug has been approved with the new, lower dosing regimen and a warning about the potential for severe drug interactions. – From MedPage Today