Some “inactive” drug ingredients may be anything, research finds

According to a new study published today, some of the inactive ingredients commonly found in medicines may end up being less inactive. Researchers have shown that some ingredients, including certain dyes and preservatives, can affect proteins, receptors, and other parts of our biology in perhaps important and notable ways. Was found in the laboratory. The findings do not prove that these ingredients can be harmful to people, but suggest that further investigation is needed.

Scientists have examined thousands of inactive ingredients, also known as excipients. They screened them for their potential to interact with or bind to a number of molecular targets found in cells of the body, including those that regulate levels of key neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Once they find one that has a plausible effect on the body, they can use two different methods in the lab to see if each of these additives affects the target of human cells, and how. I investigated whether it affects the.

Overall, they identified 38 inactive components that interact with 44 different molecular targets. These include food dyes, preservatives, and ingredients intended to be used as diInfections like D&C no red 28, propylparaben, benzethonium chloride.. IIn some cases, the level of activity they see from these interactions is what you would expect from the active ingredients of some drugs. The team’s findings are Release In science.

“At the molecular level, it has been shown that some excipients modulate the activity of receptors that are important for human biology,” said research author Brian Scheiche, a pharmaceutical chemist at the University of California, San Francisco. I told Gizmodo.

Inactive ingredients have long been considered to be inactive chemicals that pass through the body without effect, but some studies are beginning to challenge that assumption. Last year, for example, research found Evidence that many ingredients can cause common food allergies and other hypersensitivity. This research seems to be further advanced, highlighting some of the ingredients that may interact with the body in how the active ingredients are designed.

One example was thimerosal. A derivative of mercury used as an antiseptic in some adult vaccines and other medicines. They found evidence that it binds to specific dopamine receptors in the brain and intestine, and with such high activity that it can fully exert its “physiological effect of thimerosal.” At the same time, they emphasized that there is no other evidence to date about the physical effects of thimerosal, including the violent link between vaccines and autism.

Last year’s study, like this new one, was solely for proof of concept, and was a way to focus on what might be a problem, but not necessarily. Shoichet and his team do not want anyone to panic or avoid taking drugs because of the findings.

“We haven’t proven they are toxic-it’s from a distance-despite it’s an area where the field can improve,” Shoichet said. “What this paper has revealed is a new direction for research. The conversation begins.”

In fact, most of the less inactive components found by Shoichet’s team are unlikely to even reach the type of molecular target they identified. Other experiments Animals have shown that most of these chemicals did not reach the bloodstream in sufficient concentrations to have a plausible effect on the body. That said, things can change under certain circumstances, such as taking a drug by injection. Not as a pill (If the same inactive ingredient is were Used in both formats) ofPeople who take multiple medications or who have a leaky bowel It enables the drug component Penetrates bloodstream at high concentration..

The study was conducted in part with funding from the Food and Drug Administration and in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Novartis. Shoichet provided praise to the FDA and Novartis for knowing that the results could cause them headaches and willing to do this expensive research. As a result, there may ultimately be some changes to the way in which our products and other companies’ pharmaceutical products are manufactured.

“Based on this early work, we are considering the next steps to determine if the excipients we are currently using need to be replaced,” says co-author Laszlo Urban. ..The Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Head of Preclinical Safety Profiling and Global Head, told Gizmodo by email. “We continue to be guided by science as we look at ways we can make our medicines better. We believe this published research will also help others in the industry. “

Choise hopes that people will continue to work on the work of his team.

“It’s great to test inactive ingredients more extensively than we can tolerate-we only scratched the surface,” he said.