All medications

Gout medicines

Febuxostat

Brand names: Uloric

A uric acid-lowering alternative for people who cannot take allopurinol.

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Febuxostat
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Animated explainer

PurinesXanthine oxidaseUric acidmg/dLtarget 66.5Below 6 mg/dL
Step 1 of 4
How it works · Urate lowering
Purines become uric acid

An enzyme called xanthine oxidase turns purines from your cells and food into uric acid.

What it’s used for

Gout in people who are allergic to or not helped by allopurinol.

How it works

Like allopurinol, it blocks xanthine oxidase to cut uric acid production.

How it’s taken

A daily tablet, adjusted to reach the uric acid target.

Side effects

Liver enzyme rises, joint pain early on, rash and nausea. It carries a boxed warning about cardiovascular death in people with heart disease.

Monitoring

Uric acid and liver tests.

Good to know

Flare prevention with colchicine is used for the first 3 to 6 months.

← Allopurinol

Pegloticase →

At a glance

Class

Gout medicines

Brand names

Uloric

Reviewed by Farhan Tahir, MD, FACR

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