Various electrolyte abnormalities may result, including hyponatremia (low sodium), hypokalemia (low potassium), hypochloremia (low chloride), hypomagnesemia (low magnesium), hypercalcemia (high calcium), and hyperuricemia (high uric acid). These may result in dizziness, headache, or heart arrhythmias (palpitations). Serious, though rare, side effects include aplastic anemia, pancreatitis, agranulocytosis, and angioedema. Metolazone, like other thiazide diuretics, may unmask latent diabetes mellitus or exacerbate gout, especially by interacting with medicines used to treat gout. In addition, thiazide diuretics, including metolazone, are sulfonamides; those with hypersensitivity to sulfonamides ("sulfa allergy") may also be allergic to metolazone. Mechanism of action
The primary target of all thiazide diuretics, including metolazone, is the distal convoluted tubule, part of the nephron in the kidney, where they inhibit the sodium-chloride symporter. In the kidney, blood is filtered into the lumen, or open space, of the nephron tubule. Whatever remains in the tubule will travel to the bladder as urine and eventually be excreted. The cells lining the tubule modify the fluid inside, absorbing some material and excreting others. One side of the cell (the apical side) faces the lumen; the opposite side (the basolateral side) faces the interstitial space near blood vessels. The other sides are tightly joined to neighboring cells. As with other regions, tubule cells in the distal convoluted tubule possess the ATP-powered sodium-potassium antiporter (Na+/K+-ATPase), which uses energy from ATP to transfer three sodium ions out from the basolateral surface (toward blood vessels) while simultaneously transferring two potassium ions in.
History
The synthesis of trospium was described by scientists from Dr. Robert Pfleger Chemische Fabrik GmbH,  Heinz Bertholdt, Robert Pfleger, and Wolfram Schulz, in US. Pat. No. 3,480,626 (the US equivalent to DE119442), and its activity was first published in the literature in 1967.The first regulatory approval was granted in Germany in August 1999 to Madaus AG for Regurin 20 mg Tablets. : 13  Madaus is considered the originator for regulatory filings worldwide. The German filing was recognized throughout Europe under the Mutual Recognition Procedure. : 13 Madaus licensed the US rights to trospium chloride to Interneuron in 1999 and Interneuron ran clinical trials in the US to win FDA approval. Interneuron changed its name to Indevus in 2002 Indevus entered into a partnership with Odyssey Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Pliva, to market the drug in April 2004, and won FDA approval for the drug, which it branded as Sanctura, in May 2004. The approval earned Indevus a milestone payment of $120M from Pliva, which had already paid Indevus $30 million at signing; the market for overactive bladder therapies was estimated to be worth $1.1 billion in 2004. In 2005 Pliva exited the relationship, selling its rights to Esprit Pharma, and in September 2007 Allergan acquired Esprit, and negotiated a new agreement with Indevus under which Allergan would completely take over the US manufacturing, regulatory approvals, and marketing. A month before, Indevus had received FDA approval for an extended release formulation that allowed once a day dosing, Sanctura XR.