Therapy of Inflammatory Bowel Disease using 5-Aminosalicylic Acid, 4-Aminosalicylic Acid and Olsalazine Retention Enemas: Review of Clinical Trials

The knowledge that 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is the activecompound of sulphasalazine and that it acts topically has stimulated the use of5-ASA containing enemas and ocher similar compounds such as olsalazine and4-aminosalicylic acid (4-ASA). 5-ASA enemas have been shown to be effective incontrolling active disease in clinical trials and have also been shown to be ofbenefit in prevention of relapses. Olsalazine enemas have not demonstrated significantly better results than placebo 4-ASA enemas are effective but the resultsobtained have differed as to effective dos