mercaptopurine

[ mer-kap-toh-pyoor-een ]

noun

, Pharmacology.

1. a yellow, crystalline, water-insoluble powder, C 5 H 4 N 4 S, used in the treatment of leukemia.

mercaptopurine

/ məˌkæptəʊˈpjʊəriːn /

noun

1. a drug used in the treatment of leukaemia. Formula: C 5 H 4 N 4 S

Word History and Origins

Origin of mercaptopurine¹

First recorded in 1950–55; mercapto + purine

Example Sentences

Investigators will look closely at the pricing of key medical ingredients such as melphalan, mercaptopurine and tioguanine, used to treat cancers of the blood and immune systems.

From BBC

No more doses of mercaptopurine — also hidden in applesauce — every day after school.

From Washington Post

The product labels for Remicade and Humira have been updated and the product labels for azathioprine and mercaptopurine were being updated to include warnings about HSTCL, the FDA said on its website.

From Reuters