Benfotiamine is a synthetic S-acyl derivative of thiamine (vitamin B1). It is prescribed there for treating sciatica and other painful nerve conditions. Benfotiamine may be useful for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy however "Most of the effects attributed to benfotiamine are extrapolated from in vitro and animal studies. Unfortunately apparent evidences from human studies are scarce and especially endpoint studies are missing. Therefore additional clinical studies are mandatory to explore the therapeutic potential of benfotiamine in both diabetic and non-diabetic pathological conditions". After absorption, benfotiamine can be dephosphorylated by cells bearing an ecto-alkaline phosphatase to the lipid-soluble S-benzoylthiamine. Benfotiamine should not be confused with allithiamine, a naturally occurring thiamine disulfide derivative with a distinct pharmacological profile.
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