Acipimox

General information

Acipimox (S-methylpyrazine-2-carboxylic acid 4-oxide) is structurally related to nicotinic acid. There were flushing and gastrointestinal disturbances in 7137 patients, of whom 15% stopped taking the drug because of adverse effects; there were no adverse effects on blood glucose or uric acid [ ]. Of 32 patients with hypertriglyceridemia, excessive hypertriglyceridemia, and combined hyperlipidemia, acipimox had to be withdrawn in 10 cases, because of adverse effects or absence of clinical response [ ]. The other 22 completed 6 months of treatment with no adverse effects. The authors claimed that acipimox is much better tolerated than nicotinic acid; it has fewer adverse effects and can therefore be used as a second-line drug.