Which agent is a recombinant uricase used for chronic gout therapy?

Which agent is a recombinant uricase used for chronic gout therapy?

• A. Allopurinol
• B. Probenecid
• C. Pegloticase
• D. Colchicine

Answer: (C)

Humans lack uricase, so directly degrading uric acid is a targeted approach for chronic gout that’s refractory to standard therapies. Pegloticase is a PEGylated recombinant uricase that converts uric acid to allantoin, a more soluble compound easily excreted by the kidneys. This lowers serum urate levels and helps reduce tophi and tophi-related damage in long-standing, difficult-to-treat gout. Because it’s a foreign enzyme, there’s a risk of immune reactions, so it’s reserved for patients who don’t respond to conventional urate-lowering therapies. Other options either inhibit uric acid production (like allopurinol), increase its excretion (probenecid), or treat inflammation (colchicine), but they do not provide a recombinant uricase mechanism.

Humans lack uricase, so directly degrading uric acid is a targeted approach for chronic gout that’s refractory to standard therapies. Pegloticase is a PEGylated recombinant uricase that converts uric acid to allantoin, a more soluble compound easily excreted by the kidneys. This lowers serum urate levels and helps reduce tophi and tophi-related damage in long-standing, difficult-to-treat gout. Because it’s a foreign enzyme, there’s a risk of immune reactions, so it’s reserved for patients who don’t respond to conventional urate-lowering therapies. Other options either inhibit uric acid production (like allopurinol), increase its excretion (probenecid), or treat inflammation (colchicine), but they do not provide a recombinant uricase mechanism.