Clinical Drug Experience Knowledgebase

Aurothioglucose (trade name Solganal), also known as gold thioglucose, is a glucose derivative formerly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, that cannot be adequately controlled by other medicines. Aurothioglucose has been shown to inhibit protein kinase C, a metalloenzyme containing Zn(2+) bound to cysteine and histidine residues, which plays a crucial role in intracellular signal transduction by phosphorylating serine/threonine residues in the protein. The inhibition of protein kinase C has been suggested as a possible mode of action for the therapeutic antirheumatic action of gold drugs. In 2001, aurothioglucose was withdrawn from the Dutch market, where it had been the only injectable gold preparation available since 1943, forcing hospitals to change medication for a large number of patients to aurothiomalate. The drug had been in use for more than 70 years, and four years later the reasons for its sudden disappearance remained unclear.   ^NCATS