ATC Group: A07B Intestinal adsorbents

The World Health Organization's ATC classification organizes medical drugs based on therapeutic properties, chemical composition, and anatomy. It helps make essential medicines readily available globally and is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Position of A07B in the ATC hierarchy

Level
Code
Title
1
Alimentary tract and metabolism
2
Antidiarrheals, intestinal antiinflammatory/antiinfective agents
3
A07B
Intestinal adsorbents

Group A07B contents

Code
Title
Charcoal preparations
Bismuth preparations
Other intestinal adsorbents

Active ingredients in A07B

Active Ingredient
Description

Attapulgite is a magnesium aluminium phyllosilicate which occurs in a type of clay soil common to the Southeastern United States. It physically binds to acids and toxic substances in the stomach and digestive tract. For that reason, it has often been used in antidiarrheal medications.

Activated charcoal is a form of carbon processed to have small, low-volume pores that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions.

Diosmectite is a natural aluminomagnesium silicate clay with a lamellar, non-fibrous crystalline structure that gives it strong adsorbent properties. Diosmectite has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in children.

Pectin is a structural acidic heteropolysaccharide contained in the primary and middle lamella cell walls of terrestrial plants. The characteristic structure of pectin is a linear chain of alpha(1-4)linked D-galacturonic acid that forms the pectin-backbone, a homogalacturonan.

Related product monographs

Title
Type
Country
Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC)
UK