Benfotiamine

Benfotiamine is primarily marketed as an over-the-counter drug to treat diabetic polyneuropathy. A 2021 review described two clinical trials with positive results for diabetic polyneuropathy and concluded that more research is needed. As of 2017, benfotiamine was marketed as a pharmaceutical drug in many countries under the following brand names: Benalgis, Benfogamma, Benforce, Benfotiamina, Biotamin, Biotowa, Milgamma, and Vilotram. It was also marketed in some jurisdictions as a combination drug with cyanocobalamin as Milgamma, in combination with pyridoxine as Milgamma, in combination with metformin as Benforce-M, and with thiamine as Vitafos. ==Adverse effects==

There is little published data on adverse effects. In one study of a combination of benfotiamine, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin, around 8% of people taking the drug experienced nausea, dizziness, stomach ache and weight gain. ==Pharmacology==

Benfotiamine is dephosphorylated to S-benzoylthiamine by ecto-alkaline phosphatases present in the intestinal mucosa, and is then hydrolyzed to thiamine by thioesterases in the liver. providing higher levels of thiamine in muscle, brain, liver, and kidney. ==Chemistry==

Benfotiamine is a lipid derivative of thiamine, specifically a synthetic S-acyl Vitamin B1 analogue; its chemical name is S-benzoylthiamine O-monophosphate. ==Research==

Benfotiamine has been studied in laboratory models of diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy. A 2021 review of its use for diabetic polyneuropathy described two clinical trials which showed improvements in neuropathic pain and neuropathic symptoms scores, the latter of which showed a dose-response effect. == See also ==