Cholestyramine is a bile acid sequestrant used as an adjunct in the reduction of elevated serum cholesterol in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia, and for the relief of pruritus associated with partial biliary obstruction. Bile acid sequestrants are polymeric compounds which serve as ion exchange resins.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed
Cholestyramine forms a resin that acts as a bile acid sequestrant to limit the reabsorption of bile acids in the gastrointestinal tract. Cholestyramine resin is a strong anion exchange resin, allowing it to exchange its chloride anions with anionic bile acids present in the gastrointestinal tract and form a strong resin matrix. Cholestyramine consists of a functional group, which is a quaternary ammonium group attached to an inert styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer, in the anion exchange resin.
- Primary indication
- Indicated as adjunctive therapy to diet for the reduction of elevated serum cholesterol in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia (elevated low density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol) who do not respond adequately to diet.Curator reviewed · 3 structured indications
- First approval
- Canada, 1997 · United States, 1994
- Also known as
- Cholestyramine resin · Colestyramine
- Brand names
Resolves to
What you can answer from here — as of July 17, 2026
Which other approved drugs treat the same conditions as Cholestyramine, and which companies have late-stage candidates in those indications?
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