Baby Safety / Compounds / Penicillamine (D-penicillamine / Cuprimine / Depen)

Is Penicillamine (D-penicillamine / Cuprimine / Depen) safe for babies and kids?

Elevated risk for kids

Infants are more vulnerable to Penicillamine (D-penicillamine / Cuprimine / Depen) than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What is penicillamine (d-penicillamine / cuprimine / depen)?

The IUPAC name is (2S)-2-amino-3-methyl-3-sulfanylbutanoic acid.

Also known as: D-Penicillamine, penicillamine, 52-67-5, Cuprimine.

IUPAC name
(2S)-2-amino-3-methyl-3-sulfanylbutanoic acid
CAS number
52-67-5
Molecular formula
C5H11NO2S
Molecular weight
149.21 g/mol
SMILES
CC(C)(C(C(=O)O)N)S
PubChem CID
5852

Risk for babies

Elevated risk

Infants are more vulnerable to Penicillamine (D-penicillamine / Cuprimine / Depen) than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Penicillamine (D-penicillamine / Cuprimine / Depen). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
FDA—Approved drug for Wilson's disease, cystinuria, and RA
WHO—Essential Medicine — Wilson's disease

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter penicillamine (d-penicillamine / cuprimine / depen)

  • Pharmaceutical — Wilson's disease copper chelation, rheumatoid arthritis DMARD, cystinuria treatment
  • Medical — lead/mercury chelation (off-label), scleroderma treatment (off-label)

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Penicillamine (D-penicillamine / Cuprimine / Depen):

  • Trientine (Syprine)
    Trade-offs: Alternative chelating agent; stability constants for target metal ions differ; biodegradability varies (EDTA poorly biodegradable, citrate fully biodegradable); downstream water treatment impact should be assessed.
  • Zinc acetate (Galzin)
    Trade-offs: Alternative chelating agent; stability constants for target metal ions differ; biodegradability varies (EDTA poorly biodegradable, citrate fully biodegradable); downstream water treatment impact should be assessed.

Frequently asked questions

Is penicillamine (d-penicillamine / cuprimine / depen) safe for kids?

Infants are more vulnerable to Penicillamine (D-penicillamine / Cuprimine / Depen) than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What products contain penicillamine (d-penicillamine / cuprimine / depen)?

Penicillamine (D-penicillamine / Cuprimine / Depen) appears in: Wilson's disease copper chelation (pharmaceutical); rheumatoid arthritis DMARD (pharmaceutical); lead/mercury chelation (off-label) (medical); scleroderma treatment (off-label) (medical).

What should I do if my child is exposed to penicillamine (d-penicillamine / cuprimine / depen)?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

See Penicillamine (D-penicillamine / Cuprimine / Depen) in the baby app

Look up products containing penicillamine (d-penicillamine / cuprimine / depen), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. — expert_curation

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →