title: SA 96 (N-(2-mercapto-2-methylpropanoyl)-L-cysteine) in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: SA 96 (N-(2-mercapto-2-methylpropanoyl)-L-cysteine) is a new sulfhydryl compound having a relatively similar chemical structure to Tiopronin and D-penicillamine. An open trial of SA 96 treatment (300 mg/day after meals for 16 weeks) was carried out in 11 patients with definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis and with therapeutic failure of previous gold salts and/or D-penicillamine therapy. Two cases were withdrawn from the trial, because of a side effect (hepatitis) in one patient and an unrelated illness in another. The results in the 9 patients completing the trial demonstrated statistically significant improvement in the clinical and laboratory measurements. A marked abatement of disease activity was noted in 5 of 9 patients who did not benefit from, or suffered a relapse during previous chrysotherapy and in 1 of 5 patients without benefit, or with relapse following previous D-penicillamine treatment. Among 4 patients who had discontinued D-penicillamine because of its intolerable cutaneous side effects, 3 patients completed the trial, with favourable results. The results of this trial seem to indicate that SA 96 is possibly of value as a slow-acting antirheumatic drug in some patients with therapeutic failure of gold salts or D-penicillamine.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003545:Cysteine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006046:Gold / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013718:Tensile Strength; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D006046:Gold; D010396:Penicillamine; D003545:Cysteine; C026535:bucillamine