PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Richard R Neubig
TI  - Mind Your Salts: When the Inactive Constituent Isn't (Relates to Article by Zhao, et al., Fast Forward 22 July 2010)
AID  - 10.1124/mol.110.067645
DP  - 2010 Jan 01
TA  - Molecular Pharmacology
PG  - mol.110.067645
4099  - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2010/07/22/mol.110.067645.short
4100  - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2010/07/22/mol.110.067645.full
AB  - Many pharmacological agents include "inactive" constituents that are used to alter the solubility, stability, or pharmaceutical properties of a drug. These "salts" are often ignored with the "active ingredient" getting all of the attention. Pamoic acid (4-[(3-carboxy-2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methyl]-3-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid) has been used in formulations of several drugs as pamoate salts. This Perspective highlights a recent study (p. xxxx) that identifies pamoic acid as a potent activator of the orphan G protein coupled receptor, GPR35. This effect may contribute to the pharmacological actions of some agents that are prepared as pamoate salts. Thus, pharmacologists, regulators, and clinicians should "mind their salts" in considering differences among supposedly equivalent agents.