New and emerging therapies in gout

Abstract

Gout is a disease that has been pestering humankind for centuries. Hence, gout therapeutics has always been a field of ongoing research. Beginning from colchicine, which was the first drug to come into use, to the latest inflammasome inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, therapies for gout have evolved remarkably over the years. Although gout-related research came to a standstill in the late 20th century, the 21st century witnessed a renaissance in gout therapeutics with the advent of new xanthine oxidase inhibitors. Our present armamentarium against gout includes drugs that exploit the newfound knowledge about the various mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of gout as well as drugs used in other conditions, which are effective in gout as well. Many more drugs that promise better management of gout in the future are in the pipeline.