ANNIVERSARY REVIEW: Antithyroid drug therapy: 70 years later
ANNIVERSARY REVIEW: Antithyroid drug therapy: 70 years later
Eur J Endocrinol. 2018 Oct 12;179(5):R261-R274
Authors: Burch HB, Cooper DS
Abstract
The thionamide antithyroid drugs were discovered in large part following serendipitous observations by a number of
investigators in the 1940s who found that sulfhydryl-containing compounds were goitrogenic in animals. This prompted
Prof. Edwin B Astwood to pioneer the use of these compounds to treat hyperthyroidism in the early 1940s and to develop
the more potent and less toxic drugs that are used today. Despite their simple molecular structure and ease of use, many
uncertainties remain, including their mechanism(s) of action, clinical role, optimal use in pregnancy and the prediction
and prevention of rare but potentially life-threatening adverse reactions. In this review, we summarize the history of the
development of these drugs and outline their current role in the clinical management of patients with hyperthyroidism.
PMID: 30320502 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: European Journal of Endocrinology - Category: Endocrinology Authors: Burch HB, Cooper DS Tags: Eur J Endocrinol Source Type: research