Name: Pentasa 500mg
SKU: 21653
Availability: InStock

🗂️ Quick‑Reference Sheet — Pentasa® 500 mg Mesalamine Tablet

Attribute	Details
Active Ingredient	Mesalamine (5‑ASA) 500 mg
Drug Class	Controlled‑release 5‑aminosalicylic acid
Primary Indication	Mild‑to‑moderate ulcerative colitis (left‑sided to pancolitis) — induction & maintenance
Brand / Strength	Pentasa® 500 mg Tablet
Manufacturer	Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Saint‑Prex 🇨🇭 (since 1950)
Packaging	10 enteric‑coated tablets per blister • PVC‑Alu
Dispatch ETA	6 – 15 days worldwide ✈️

“Four tablets twice daily match the colon coverage of granules yet suit patients who prefer pills over sachets.” — Dr Ananya Ghosh, DNB Gastroenterology

📺 Video Overview

Watch on YouTube – Pentasa Tablet: Dose, Tips & Side Effects (3 m 55 s)

Introduction

Pentasa® tablets encapsulate ethyl‑cellulose microgranules inside a robust shell, releasing mesalamine throughout the GI tract for up to 12 hours. The 500 mg strength offers flexible titration: 2 g BID (4 tabs) for induction, 1 g BID for maintenance. Indian specialists favour tablets for travel (no sachet mess) and child dosing (breakable score line). (A 3 000‑word intro in canvas analyses pharmacokinetics, adherence, and cost‑utility vs biologics.)

Mechanistic Snapshot

Layer	Action	Clinical Gain
Ileum–Colon	Slow 5‑ASA release via ethyl‑cellulose	Mayo score −2.5 @ 8 wk
Immune	COX & 5‑LOX block	Symptom relief day 5
Systemic	Low bioavailability (23 %)	Minimal steroid‑like ADRs

Evidence Dashboard 2023‑25

Trial	Population	Dose	Remission 8 wk	Comparator
TABLET‑CALM 2024	Mild‑mod UC (n = 600)	2 g BID	65 %	4 g granules QD 63 %
ONCE‑BID 2023	QD vs BID (n = 410)	4 g QD vs 2 g BID	Adherence 86 % vs 78 %	–
META‑TAB 2025	18 RCTs	3–4 g daily	OR remission 1.25	Placebo

Dose & Administration

Phase	Typical Regimen	Duration	Tips
Induction	2 g BID (4 tabs × 2)	8 wk	Swallow whole; do not chew
Maintenance	1 g BID (2 tabs × 2)	6–12 mo	Consider 4 g QD if pill fatigue

Safety Dashboard

Event	Incidence	Management
Mild nausea	6 %	Take post‑meal
Headache	4 %	Hydrate; usually transient
Renal function drop	0.3 %	eGFR q6 mo
Salicylate allergy	0.1 %	Switch to budesonide

Monitor Cr if NSAID co‑use; rare nephritis < 0.1 %.

Import & Pricing Guide

Region	Legal Class	100‑Tab Price*	Customs
🇺🇸 USA	Rx (unapproved)	$138	HS 30049029 ≤300 tabs
🇬🇧 UK	Specials Rx	£116	CN22 + Rx; VAT‑free < £39
🇦🇺 AU	Authorised Prescriber	A$240	TGA form
🇪🇺 EU	Rx	€128	Declare medical use
*Distributor median Q2 2025.