Recombinant urate oxidase
The enzyme humans lost — reinstalled for tumor lysis
- Converts uric acid to soluble allantoin
- Humans lack urate oxidase; uric acid is our dead end. Allantoin is 5-10× more soluble
- Rapidly clears the urate load of tumor lysis syndrome
- Destroys EXISTING urate (allopurinol only stops new production)
- rasburicase (ELITEK)
- Hemolysis in G6PD deficiency
- Falsely lowers uric acid in the collection tube
- ⚠ BOXED: G6PD deficiency → hemolysis/methemoglobinemia; anaphylaxis; blood urate samples must go on ice
Drugs with this mechanism (1)
- Rasburicase — Urate oxidase that rapidly removes existing uric acid in tumor lysis; contraindicated in G6PD deficiency.
Self-check
- Does urate oxidase destroy existing urate or only stop new production?
Destroys existing urate. - How must blood urate samples be handled?
On ice.
All mechanisms · Open Recombinant urate oxidase in the interactive console ↗