Sulfanegen is an experimental

antidote An antidote is a substance that can counteract a form of poisoning. The term ultimately derives from the Greek term φάρμακον ἀντίδοτον ''(pharmakon antidoton)'', "(medicine) given as a remedy". An older term in English which is ...

for

cyanide poisoning Cyanide poisoning is poisoning that results from exposure to any of a number of forms of cyanide. Early symptoms include headache, dizziness, fast heart rate, shortness of breath, and vomiting. This phase may then be followed by seizures, slo ...

. It is being studied as a

prodrug A prodrug is a pharmacologically inactive medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be ...

for 3-mercaptopyruvic acid (3-MP). 3-MP has been studied as a potential treatment for

, but the

half-life Half-life is a mathematical and scientific description of exponential or gradual decay. Half-life, half life or halflife may also refer to: Film * Half-Life (film), ''Half-Life'' (film), a 2008 independent film by Jennifer Phang * ''Half Life: ...

is too short for it to be clinically effective. Instead, alternative chemicals such as sulfanegen, the

hemithioacetal In organic chemistry, hemithioacetals (or thiohemiacetals) are organosulfur compounds with the general Chemical formula, formula . They are the sulfur Structural analog, analogues of the acetals, , with an oxygen atom replaced by sulfur (as impli ...

cyclic dimer of 3-MP, are being evaluated that produce 3-MP in vivo to compensate for the short half-life of 3-MP itself. Sulfanegen has been shown to be effective in animal studies. It is being studied as the di

sodium Sodium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Na (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 element, group 1 of the peri ...

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

, sulfanegen sodium, and the

triethanolamine Triethanolamine, or TEOA, is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is a colourless, viscous liquid. It is both a tertiary amine and a triol. A triol is a molecule with three alcohol groups. Approximately 150,000 tonnes were produ ...

salt, sulfanegen TEA. One advantage various sulfanegen formulations have over existing treatments for acute cyanide poisoning is that they might be administered by

intramuscular injection Intramuscular injection, often abbreviated IM, is the medical injection, injection of a substance into a muscle. In medicine, it is one of several methods for parenteral, parenteral administration of medications. Intramuscular injection may be ...

or orally rather than by

intravenous infusion Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutr ...

References

{{reflist Antidotes Dithianes Dicarboxylic acids Alpha hydroxy acids