Acetohydroxamic acid
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| Trade names | Lithostat |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Consumer Drug Information |
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Acetohydroxamic acid (also known as AHA or by the trade name Lithostat) is a drug that is a potent and irreversible enzyme inhibitor of the urease enzyme in various bacteria and plants; it is usually used for urinary tract infections. The molecule is similar to urea but is not hydrolyzable by urease;[1] it thus disrupts the bacteria's metabolism through competitive inhibition.
Orphan drug
In 1983 the US Food and Drug Administration approved acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) as an orphan drug for "prevention of so-called struvite stones" under the newly enacted Orphan Drug Act of 1983.[2] AHA cannot be patented because it is a standard chemical compound.[2]