User:Mr. Ibrahem/Realgar/Indigo naturalis

Realgar/Indigo naturalis (RIF), also known as Compound Huangdai, is a medication used to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia. Effectiveness appears similar to arsenic trioxide. It is generally used together with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA). It is taken by mouth.

Side effects may include abdominal pain and rash. It is made up of a combination of realgar (tetra-arsenic tetra-sulfide), Indigo naturalis, root of Salvia miltiorrhiza, and root of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. It works by breaking down the cancer protein retinoic acid receptor alpha.

Realgar-Indigo naturalis was developed in the 1980s and approved for medical use in China in 2009. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is made in China and was originally a herbal remedy. It is not very expensive. It is not approved in either the United States or Europe as of 2019.