Polyethylene Glycol 3350
Excipient (pharmacologically inactive substance)
What is it?
Polyethylene glycol, referred to as PEG, is used as an inactive ingredient in the pharmaceutical industry as a solvent, plasticizer, surfactant, ointments, and suppository base, and tablet and capsule lubricant. PEG has low toxicity with systemic absorption less than 0.5%.
PEGylation occurs when PEGs are attached to various protein medications, allowing for greater solubility for certain drugs. Examples of PEGylated medications include PEG-interferon alpha (Pegintron) and PEG-filgrastim (Neulasta). PEG is also available as a bowel prep for colonoscopy procedures and as a laxative.[1]
PEG 400 indicates the average molecular weight of the specific PEG at 400.[2] PEG 3350 is a laxative available over-the-counter by the name of Miralax. In this case, PEG is considered an "active" ingredient, even though systemic absorption is less than 0.5%.
[1] Dave RH. Overview of pharmaceutical excipients used in tablets and capsules. Drug Topics (online). Advanstar. 10/24/2008 http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/Top+News/Overview-of-pharmaceutical-excipients-used-in-tabl/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/561047. Accessed 08/19/2011
[2] ThermoScientific. PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) Reagents http://www.piercenet.com/products/browse.cfm?fldID=12D97D8D-5056-8A76-4E95-9EA0D0B54BDB Accessed 08/19/2011
Top Medications with this excipient
- Amoxicillin Trihydrate 875 mg (Aurobindo Pharma)
- Atripla efavirenz 600mg / emtricitabine 200mg / tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300mg (Gilead Sciences, Inc.)
- Azor 5 mg / 20 mg (Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.)
- Bupropion Hydrochloride Extended-Release (SR) 150 mg (Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.)
- Cetirizine Hydrochloride 10 mg (Apotex Corp.)
- Divalproex Sodium Delayed-Release 250 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
- Famotidine 20 mg (Northstar Rx LLC)
- Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Ibuprofen 7.5 mg / 200 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
- Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate 200 mg (Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride 25 mg (KVK Tech Inc.)
- Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride 50 mg (KVK Tech Inc.)
- Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride 10 mg (Major Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Levetiracetam 500 mg (Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
- Losartan Potassium 50 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
- Losartan Potassium 100 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
- Losartan Potassium 25 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
- Montelukast Sodium 10 mg (base) (Roxane Laboratories, Inc.)
- Nitroglycerin 0.4 mg (Glenmark Generics Inc.)
- Simvastatin 20 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
- Simvastatin 40 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
