Wilzin

Product Overview

About Wilzin

Wilzin is a medicine that contains the active substance zinc. It is available as capsules (blue: 25 mg; orange: 50 mg).

What it is used for

Wilzin is used to treat Wilson’s disease. Wilson’s disease is a rare inherited disorder where patients lack an enzyme that is needed to eliminate the copper contained in food from the body. This results in copper building up in the body, first in the liver, then in other organs such as the eye and the brain. This causes a variety of effects, including liver disease and damage to the nervous system. Because the number of patients with Wilson’s disease is low, the disease is considered ‘rare’, and Wilzin was designated an ‘orphan medicine’ (a medicine used in rare diseases) on 31 July 2001. The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription.

How it is used

Wilzin treatment should be started by a doctor who has experience in the treatment of Wilson’s disease. The usual dose for adults is 50 mg three times a day. A reduced dose is used in children. Wilzin should be taken on an empty stomach, at least one hour before or two to three hours after meals. Wilzin is a long-term treatment. Patients who are switching from a ‘chelating agent’ (another type of medicine for Wilson’s disease) to Wilzin should continue to take the chelating agent for two to three weeks after starting Wilzin, because Wilzin takes some time to start working fully. The maximum dose of Wilzin is 50 mg five times a day. For more information, see the package leaflet.

How it works

The active substance in Wilzin is the zinc cation (positively charged zinc), which blocks the absorption of copper from the diet. It works by stimulating the body to produce a protein called metallothionein in the cells lining the gut. This protein attaches to copper and prevents it being transferred into the blood. The copper is then passed out of the body in the stools. Over time, the amount of copper in the body falls, improving the symptoms of the disease. Zinc has been used to treat Wilson’s disease since 1958.

Active substance: zinc

Source: EMA EPAR