They were discovered in 1945 in Acremonium fungus species. Colchicine (1963), primarily used to treat gout, dates to prehistoric times when its source, the Colchicum autumnale (crocus) plant, was used to treat rheumatism and swelling.

How long has colchicine been around?

Although there is evidence that colchicine, an alkaloid derived from the autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), was used as a powerful purgative in ancient Greece more than 2000 years ago, its first use as a selective and specific treatment for gout is attributed to the Byzantine Christian physician Alexander of Tralles ...

Why was colchicine taken off the market?

As part of its Unapproved Drugs Initiative designed to remove unapproved drugs from the market by means of a “risk-based enforcement program” that concentrates on products that “pose the highest threat to public health and without imposing undue burdens on consumers, or unnecessarily disrupting the market,” the FDA in ...