Folic acid

BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS

Key facts

Folic acid is an ofp drug catalogued in DrugCentral. It was first approved by the FDA in 1946. DrugCentral lists 4 molecular targets, including folA, dfrA17 and TYMS. Recorded indications include Breastfeeding (mother), Folic acid deficiency, Iron deficiency anemia and Megaloblastic anemia due to folate deficiency.

• Approval status: ofp (first approved 1946 by the FDA).
• Molecular targets: folA, dfrA17, TYMS and AKR1B1 (4 listed in DrugCentral).
• Indications: Breastfeeding (mother), Folic acid deficiency, Iron deficiency anemia, Megaloblastic anemia due to folate deficiency and Mineral deficiency and others.
• ATC code: B03AD01 (Iron in combination with folic acid).
• Molecular formula: C19H19N7O6; molecular weight 441.40 g/mol.

Indications & contraindications

Drug–disease relationships curated by DrugCentral (OMOP / SNOMED concepts).

Indications (10)

• Breastfeeding (mother)
• Folic acid deficiency
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Megaloblastic anemia due to folate deficiency
• Mineral deficiency
• Mineral Deficiency Prevention
• Pregnancy, function
• Prevention of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• Vitamin deficiency
• Vitamin Deficiency Prevention

Off-label uses (3)

• Homocystinemia
• Homocystinuria
• Prevention of Fetal Neural Tube Defects during Pregnancy

Contraindications (30)

• Anemia due to enzyme deficiency
• Atrophic gastritis
• Bipolar disorder
• Constipation
• Dehydration
• Diabetes mellitus
• Diarrhea
• Diverticular disease
• Esophageal dysmotility
• Gastrectomy
• Gastroenteritis
• Hb SS disease
• Hemochromatosis
• Hemolytic anemia
• Hemosiderosis
• Hypercalcemia
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Hypokalemia
• Hypomania
• Kidney disease
• Kidney stone
• Leber's optic atrophy
• Operation on stomach
• Osteolysis
• Peptic ulcer
• Phototoxicity
• Primary hyperoxaluria
• Repeated Blood Transfusions
• Sarcoidosis
• Ulcerative colitis

Mechanism & targets

Molecular targets (4)

Target	Gene	Action	Activity
Dihydrofolate reductase	folA	unknown	Kd 6.09
Dihydrofolate reductase	dfrA17	unknown	Kd 6.09
Thymidylate synthase	TYMS	unknown	Ki 4.40
Aldose reductase	AKR1B1	unknown	IC50 4.28

Regulatory approvals (1)

Date	Agency	Marketed as	Applicant	Orphan
1946-08-13	FDA	—	LEDERLE

ATC classification

ATC code	Therapeutic hierarchy
B03AD01	BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS › ANTIANEMIC PREPARATIONS › IRON PREPARATIONS › Iron in combination with folic acid
B03AD02	BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS › ANTIANEMIC PREPARATIONS › IRON PREPARATIONS › Iron in combination with folic acid
B03AD03	BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS › ANTIANEMIC PREPARATIONS › IRON PREPARATIONS › Iron in combination with folic acid
B03AD04	BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS › ANTIANEMIC PREPARATIONS › IRON PREPARATIONS › Iron in combination with folic acid
B03AD05	BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS › ANTIANEMIC PREPARATIONS › IRON PREPARATIONS › Iron in combination with folic acid
B03AE01	BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS › ANTIANEMIC PREPARATIONS › IRON PREPARATIONS › Iron in other combinations
B03AE02	BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS › ANTIANEMIC PREPARATIONS › IRON PREPARATIONS › Iron in other combinations
B03BB01	BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS › ANTIANEMIC PREPARATIONS › VITAMIN B12 AND FOLIC ACID › Folic acid and derivatives
B03BB51	BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS › ANTIANEMIC PREPARATIONS › VITAMIN B12 AND FOLIC ACID › Folic acid and derivatives
V04CX02	VARIOUS › DIAGNOSTIC AGENTS › OTHER DIAGNOSTIC AGENTS › Other diagnostic agents

Reported adverse-event signals

Strongest FDA FAERS disproportionality signals (log-likelihood ratio). A signal is a statistical association in spontaneous reports, not proof that the drug causes the event.

MedDRA term	LLR
Pemphigus	2519.1
Systemic lupus erythematosus	2510.0
Glossodynia	2191.2
Hand deformity	1884.4
Arthropathy	1774.2
Toxicity to various agents	1727.0
Alopecia	1604.5
Maternal exposure during pregnancy	1575.1
Abdominal discomfort	1553.7
Wound	1509.6
Completed suicide	1465.2
Synovitis	1407.8

Chemical structure

• Molecular formula: C₁₉H₁₉N₇O₆
• Molecular weight: 441.40 g/mol
• CAS number: 59-30-3
• InChIKey: OVBPIULPVIDEAO-LBPRGKRZSA-N
• PubChem CID: 135398658

NC1=NC(=O)C2=NC(CNC3=CC=C(C=C3)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(O)=O)C(O)=O)=CNC2=N1

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the structured data on this page, not written by hand.

What is Folic acid used for?

DrugCentral lists the following indications for Folic acid: Breastfeeding (mother), Folic acid deficiency, Iron deficiency anemia, Megaloblastic anemia due to folate deficiency, Mineral deficiency, Mineral Deficiency Prevention, Pregnancy, function and Prevention of Vitamin B12 Deficiency and others.

How does Folic acid work?

Its molecular targets in DrugCentral include folA, dfrA17, TYMS and AKR1B1.

When was Folic acid first approved?

Folic acid was first approved by the FDA in 1946.

What is the chemical formula of Folic acid?

Folic acid has the molecular formula C19H19N7O6 and a molecular weight of 441.40 g/mol.

Sources

• DrugCentral drug card 1231 — structure, indications, targets, approvals, pharmacologic classes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• ChEMBL CHEMBL1622 — compound record and bioactivity
• PubChem CID 135398658 — chemical identifiers
• DrugBank DB00158 — drug record
• FDA UNII 935E97BOY8 — substance identity
• DailyMed: FDA labels for Folic acid — current prescribing information (label search)
• UniProt P04818 (TYMS) — target protein
• UniProt P15121 (AKR1B1) — target protein
• FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (openFDA FAERS) — adverse-event signals, as aggregated by DrugCentral

How this page is built: methodology · editorial policy & corrections.