Dichloroacetate

Dichloroacetic acid or DCA is an analogue of acetic acid. Salts of DCA may be used as drugs because they inhibit pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. Dichloroacetic acid is has many alternative names including bichloroacetic acid, dichloroethanoic acid, Urner's liquid, potassium dichloroacetate, sodium dichloroacetate,DB08809, dichlorphos and 2,2-dichloroacetic acid. Dichloroacetic acid is a colorless liquid which is corrosive to metals and tissue.

Molecular formulas

 * C2H2Cl2O2
 * CHCl2COOH

Uses
In 1989, Canada approved DCA for applying to the skin for treating warts and for "cauterization and removal of a wide variety of skin and tissue lesions", though this was cancelled post-market. DCA has also been experimentally used by patients with brain cancer, but the effectiveness is unknown.

Notable studies and publications

 * 2018, Treating patients suffering from myalgic encephalopathy/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) with sodium dichloroacetate: An open-label, proof-of-principle pilot trial - (Full text)
 * 2018, Why do some ME/CFS patients benefit from treatment with sodium dichloroacetate, but others do not? - (Full text)

Learn more

 * PubChem
 * Drugbank.ca