Prussian blue is a chelating agent used to reduce the extent of systemic contamination with radioactive cesium and/or radioactive or non-radioactive thallium. Prussian blue is described as a deep blue pigment that is produced when the oxidation of ferrous ferrocyanide salts occurs.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed · 2 references
Prussian blue binds cesium and thallium isotopes in the gastrointestinal tract after ingestion or excreted in the bile by the liver, therby reduces gastrointestinal reabsorption into the enterohepatic circulation. It serves as an ion exchanger for univalent cations and it preferentially binds to cesium or thallium as its affinity for cations increases as the ionic radius of the cation increases. Prussian blue exchanges potassium for cesium or thallium at the surface of the crystal in the intestinal lumen. The insoluble complex is excreted without being absorbed from the intestinal walls. Insoluble prussian blue decreases the half life of cesium by 33% and from 3.8 to 2.2 days for thallium. The rate of cesium and thallium elimination is proportional to the dose and duration of prussian blue.
- Primary indication
- Indicated for treatment of patients with known or suspected internal contamination with radioactive cesium and/or radioactive or non-radioactive thallium to increase their rates of elimination.Curator reviewed · 2 structured indications
- Formula / weight
- C18Fe7N18 · 859.239 g/mol (avg)
- First approval
- United States, 2010
- Also known as
- Berlin blue · Ferric ferrocyanide · Ferric hexacyanoferrate · Ferrocin · Iron(III) ferrocyanide
- Brand names
Resolves to
DNMNDNSFJMUUFM-UHFFFAOYSA-NSMILES[Fe+3].[Fe+3].[Fe+3].[Fe+3].N#C[Fe-4](C#N)(C#N)(C#N)(C#N)C#N.N#C[Fe-4](C#N)(C#N)(C#N)(C#N)C#N.N#C[Fe-4](C#N)(C#N)(C#N)(C#N)C#NWhat you can answer from here — as of July 10, 2026
Which drugs share a target with Prussian blue, and which of those have an active Phase 3 trial?
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