Title:Colchicine: An Ancient Drug with Multiple Benefits
Volume: 27
Issue: 26
Author(s): Georges El Hasbani, Ali Jawad and Imad Uthman*
Affiliation:
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut,Lebanon
Keywords:
Drug history, pharmacology, efficacy, safety, guidelines, colchicine.
Abstract: The history of colchicine dates to ancient Egyptians when it was used for alleviation of swelling and
pain. Although its popularity varied throughout the years, colchicine has been a mainstay for the treatment of
several diseases, mainly rheumatic and cardiac ones. The mechanism of action of the drug involves several intracellular
and extracellular targets, although interaction with tubulin is the most described. Based on several
clinical trials and meta-analyses, colchicine is safely recommended as a monotherapy or as an add-on for the
treatment and prevention of recurrent pericarditis, post-pericardiotomy syndrome, gout, pseudogout, familial
Mediterranean fever (FMF), and Behçet’s disease (BD). Notably, drug safety has been noted during pregnancy
and lactation. Besides its major indications, colchicine has shown efficacy and safety in the treatment of various
conditions. Because the indications for using colchicine in the prevention of certain conditions such as
acute coronary syndrome, stroke, and hepatic cirrhosis and treatment of others such as pneumonia and psoriasis
are still debatable, further research works are needed.
