Ulcerative colitis: Timeline to a cure

Figure 2 The reaction of the antibiotic sulfapyridine with salicylic acid to create sulfasalazine. The sulfonamide antibiotic sulfapyridine was chemically combined with salicylic acid to synthesize the prodrug sulfasalazine. This synthesis involved the formation of an azo bond, which linked the two molecules into a single compound, sulfasalazine. Synthesis of the larger molecule sulfasalazine, and the incorporation of the azo bond proved to be pivotal in ensuring the clinical efficacy of sulfasalazine in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.