Mesalamine is the first-line therapy for colitis, but it lacks potency and is only effective for mild-to-moderate forms of this disease. The purpose of this study was to determine if an H2S- releasing derivative of mesalamine (ATB-429) would exhibit increased potency and effectiveness in a mouse model of colitis. ATB-429 exhibits a marked increase in anti-inflammatory activity and potency in a murine model of colitis, as compared to mesalamine, and may represent an attractive alternative to mesalamine for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
