In the treatment of both adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It may also be of benefit in the treatment of patients with psoriatic arthritis or Felty's syndrome. It is usually used for treating patients who show evidence of continued or additional disease activity despite conservative drug therapy, e.g., with salicylates or other anti-inflammatory agents. Sodium aurothiomalate may induce partial or complete remission of rheumatoid arthritis. In patients with known hypersensitivity to gold.
Gold is known to cross the placenta and it can reach significant concentrations in the fetus.
Gold therapy is seldom needed during pregnancy. Although problems in humans have not been documented, the use of sodium aurothiomalate in nursing mothers is not usually recommended because of the potential for serious adverse effects in the infant. Any of the above conditions should be considered as a relative contraindication to the use of sodium aurothiomalate. In such cases, treatment should be initiated with extreme caution and only after careful assessment of expected benefits versus the potential risks. Rarely, anaphylactic shock, syncope, bradycardia, thickening of the tongue, difficulty in swallowing and breathing, and angioedema may occur in the minutes that follow the injection of sodium aurothiomalate.