Edetic acid is a chelating agent used to treat mercury and lead toxicity and some blood transfusion dependent anemias. A chelating agent (chelating agents) that sequesters a variety of polyvalent cations.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed
The pharmacologic effects of edetate calcium disodium are due to the formation of chelates with divalent and trivalent metals. A stable chelate will form with any metal that has the ability to displace calcium from the molecule, a feature shared by lead, zinc, cadmium, manganese, iron and mercury. The amounts of manganese and iron metabolized are not significant. Copper is not mobilized and mercury is unavailable for chelation because it is too tightly bound to body ligands or it is stored in inaccessible body compartments. The excretion of calcium by the body is not increased following intravenous administration of edetate calcium disodium, but the excretion of zinc is considerably increased.
- Primary indication
- For the reduction of blood levels and depot stores of lead in lead poisoning (acute and chronic) and lead encephalopathy, in both pediatric populations and adults.Curator reviewed · 2 structured indications
- Formula / weight
- C10H16N2O8 · 292.2426 g/mol (avg)
- First approval
- Canada, 1990
- Also known as
- EDTA · Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid · Ethylenediaminetetraacetate · Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
Resolves to
KCXVZYZYPLLWCC-UHFFFAOYSA-NSMILESOC(=O)CN(CCN(CC(O)=O)CC(O)=O)CC(O)=OWhat you can answer from here — as of September 30, 2026
Which other approved drugs treat the same conditions as Edetic acid, and which companies have late-stage candidates in those indications?
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