Benzbromarone: a review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic use in gout and hyperuricaemia.

Benzbromarone1 is a benzofuran derivative which lowers serum urate and increases urinary urate excretion in normal, hyperuricaemic and gouty subjects. In open short- and long-term studies benzbromarone reduced serum uric acid levels by one-third to one-half and maintained its effectiveness for periods of up to 8 years. Single-dose experimental studies have shown benzbromarone to have a urate-lowering effect similar to that of a therapeutic dose of probenecid or sulphinpyrazone, but unlike these drugs benzbromarone can be administered in a once daily regimen. In 2 short-term comparative therapeutic trials in a small number of patients with hyperuricaemia, 80mg of micronised benzbromarone daily was at least as effective as 1000mg of probenecid or 300mg of allopurinol daily in lowering serum uric acid levels. Side-effects during benzbromarone administration are usually mild and primarily gastrointestinal in nature.