RARE DISEASE
Ethylene glycol poisoning
Ethylene glycol poisoning
Ethylene glycol poisoning
Drug discovery
1
drug
With orphan designation
Overview
Ethylene glycol poisoning causes metabolic acidosis, CNS depression, and renal injury via metabolism to glycolic and oxalic acids. Early intervention with antidotes (fomepizole/ethanol) and hemodialysis prevents irreversible organ damage. Diagnosis relies on clinical suspicion, anion/osmolal gaps, and direct serum testing [1][3][12].
Therapies
Antidotes: Fomepizole (preferred) or ethanol to block alcohol dehydrogenase [3][8][15].
Hemodialysis: Indicated for pH <7.3, renal failure, or ethylene glycol levels >50 mg/dL [3][12][19].
Supportive care: Sodium bicarbonate for acidosis, calcium for hypocalcemia, and ventilator support if needed [1][12].
Categories: rare disorders due to toxic effects
Research Papers
264 drug discovery papers about Ethylene glycol poisoning, with 6 next-in-class emerging drug candidates forecasted to outperform the average preclinical success rate. Recent publications:
264 drug discovery papers about Ethylene glycol poisoning, with 6 next-in-class emerging drug candidates forecasted to outperform the average preclinical success rate. Recent publications:
categories:
Small molecules
small molecules
2026-08-09 | TOXIC ALCOHOL POISONING: A CASE REPORT
Poisonings caused by methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropanol are referred to as toxic alcohol poisonings. In this case report, we present a patient who presented to our emergency department approximately 10 hours after alcohol consumption with complaints of shortness of breath, altered mental status, and visual disturbances.
2026-07-17 | Ethylene Glycol Poisoning in Two Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) in Italy.
Poisoning is a major cause of anthropogenic death and population decline in vultures, posing a serious conservation problem for several species. This report describes mortality consequent to ethylene glycol (EG) poisoning in two Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus in Italy. One was observed alive showing abnormal hypoactive behavior 3 d before corpse retrieval. At necropsy, the main pathological findings of severe tubulonephrosis with accumulation of oxalate crystals and hepatocellular necrosis in both animals were strongly suggestive of EG poisoning, confirmed by chemical analysis of the liver and gastric contents. Estimated post-mortem intervals dated both deaths to the same 72 h timeframe, suggesting a common source of exposure and indicating that the bird seen alive died soon afterwards. An alcoholic compound, EG is widely used as an antifreeze or industrial solvent and frequently detected in poisoning casualties. It has a sweet taste, and animals may consume it unintentionally, in poisoned baits, or by scavenging poisoned carcasses. Although the source of the toxin for these vultures remains unknown, this report underlines the importance of vultures' post-mortem surveillance for the early detection of environmental contaminants and conservation threats. According to the available literature, EG poisoning has not previously been reported in any vultures in Europe nor in Griffon Vultures worldwide.
2026-06-17 | Synergistic Integration of Tensile-Strained Pt Shell and SnOx Sites in a Core-Shell Nanocatalyst for Dual Enhancement of Methanol Oxidation Activity and Durability.
Direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) are promising energy conversion devices, but their widespread application is hindered by the sluggish kinetics and severe CO poisoning associated with the anode oxidation reactions. Here, we designed a novel core-shell electrocatalyst, PtPbSn/Pt@sub-SnOx, which combines a Sn-modified PtPb intermetallic core, a tensile-strained Pt shell, and a sub-monolayer of SnOx. This architecture was achieved via a facile one-pot synthesis. The introduced Sn is key to simultaneously inducing core lattice expansion, Pt-shell tensile strain, and surface oxophilic sites. For the methanol oxidation reaction, it exhibits a mass activity of ∼6.77 A mg-1 Pt, outperforming PtPb and commercial Pt/C. It also demonstrates exceptional long-term stability over 80 000 s and high CO tolerance, alongside promising activity for ethanol and ethylene glycol oxidation. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the synergy between the tensile-strained Pt shell and surface SnOx species optimizes the electronic structure of Pt. This optimization leads to enhanced adsorption of CH3OH and OH, weakened CO binding, and consequently, lowered energy barriers for the key steps. This work demonstrates that the synergistic design of a stable intermetallic core, a strained metal shell, and surface oxophilic species is an effective strategy for developing high-performance and durable electrocatalysts for DAFCs.
2026-06-16 | Defect engineering boosts CC bond cleavage for highly efficient ethylene glycol electrooxidation on Pd2Pb3Zn4 intermetallic compound.
Optimizing the surface-interface structure and electronic interactions of palladium-based materials is crucial for accelerating the electro-oxidation of liquid fuels; However, the sluggish kinetics and complicated oxidation process still pose formidable challenges for their application in fuel cells. Herein, we fabricated defect-rich Pd2Pb3Zn4 (D-Pd2Pb3Zn4) intermetallic compound featuring nanonetwork structure. Notably, the introduction of plumbum (Pb) element promotes the generation of an ordered palladium-based alloy, whereas the leaching of zinc (Zn) element is crucial for the creation of defects. This catalyst features a highly open structure, strong electronic effect, and sufficient active sites, demonstrating remarkable electrocatalytic activity and excellent durability for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) in alkaline electrolyte. Impressively, the mass activity of the D-Pd2Pb3Zn4/C electrocatalytic EGOR is as high as 11.9 A mgPd-1, which is 1.2 and 9.0-fold higher than that of the Pd2Pb3Zn4/C (9.86 A mgPd-1) and Pd/C (1.32 A mgPd-1) catalysts, respectively. Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses reveal that the D-Pd2Pb3Zn4/C catalyst is superior to the Pd2Pb3Zn4/C catalyst in terms of facilitating mass transfer, reducing the electrochemical activation energy, enhancing electronic conductivity, accelerating charge transfer, improving the resistance to CO poisoning, and maintaining satisfactory long-term stability. Meanwhile, in-situ fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum confirmed that the D-Pd2Pb3Zn4/C enhances the selectivity toward C1 products from ethylene glycol oxidation as compared to the Pd2Pb3Zn4/C catalyst, with an optimal selectivity of 42.7% that underscores its superior CC bond cleavage ability. This study not only provides an effective synthetic strategy for preparing Pd-based nanomaterials with defective and ordered structures, but also has important guiding significance for optimizing EGOR via the C1 pathway.
2026-04-09 | Size-Engineered PdCd Nanocubes Enable Intermediate Desorption for Enhanced Durability in Ethylene Glycol Electrooxidation.
The ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) is crucial for direct liquid fuel cells and the electrochemical upcycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate), yet its practical implementation is limited by rapid performance deactivation caused by strongly adsorbed carbonaceous intermediates. In this work, we report a colloidal synthesis method for producing monodisperse PdCd intermetallic nanocubes with precisely controlled sizes ranging from 8 to 12 nm. The ordered intermetallic structure combined with size-dependent surface electronic states significantly enhances EGOR activity and durability in alkaline media. Notably, 12 nm PdCd nanocubes deliver a high mass activity of 2.05 A mgPd-1 and demonstrates exceptional operational stability maintained over 72 h. The improved performance is attributed to its strong resistance to CO poisoning and weak adsorption of reaction intermediates such as glycolic acid. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a downshifted d-band center, reduced intermediate binding ability, and lower barriers for the potential-determining step. This work offers a rational design strategy for the development of advanced intermetallic nanocrystals as high-performance EGOR electrocatalysts.
small molecules
2026-08-09 | TOXIC ALCOHOL POISONING: A CASE REPORT
Poisonings caused by methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropanol are referred to as toxic alcohol poisonings. In this case report, we present a patient who presented to our emergency department approximately 10 hours after alcohol consumption with complaints of shortness of breath, altered mental status, and visual disturbances.
2026-07-17 | Ethylene Glycol Poisoning in Two Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) in Italy.
Poisoning is a major cause of anthropogenic death and population decline in vultures, posing a serious conservation problem for several species. This report describes mortality consequent to ethylene glycol (EG) poisoning in two Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus in Italy. One was observed alive showing abnormal hypoactive behavior 3 d before corpse retrieval. At necropsy, the main pathological findings of severe tubulonephrosis with accumulation of oxalate crystals and hepatocellular necrosis in both animals were strongly suggestive of EG poisoning, confirmed by chemical analysis of the liver and gastric contents. Estimated post-mortem intervals dated both deaths to the same 72 h timeframe, suggesting a common source of exposure and indicating that the bird seen alive died soon afterwards. An alcoholic compound, EG is widely used as an antifreeze or industrial solvent and frequently detected in poisoning casualties. It has a sweet taste, and animals may consume it unintentionally, in poisoned baits, or by scavenging poisoned carcasses. Although the source of the toxin for these vultures remains unknown, this report underlines the importance of vultures' post-mortem surveillance for the early detection of environmental contaminants and conservation threats. According to the available literature, EG poisoning has not previously been reported in any vultures in Europe nor in Griffon Vultures worldwide.
2026-06-17 | Synergistic Integration of Tensile-Strained Pt Shell and SnOx Sites in a Core-Shell Nanocatalyst for Dual Enhancement of Methanol Oxidation Activity and Durability.
Direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) are promising energy conversion devices, but their widespread application is hindered by the sluggish kinetics and severe CO poisoning associated with the anode oxidation reactions. Here, we designed a novel core-shell electrocatalyst, PtPbSn/Pt@sub-SnOx, which combines a Sn-modified PtPb intermetallic core, a tensile-strained Pt shell, and a sub-monolayer of SnOx. This architecture was achieved via a facile one-pot synthesis. The introduced Sn is key to simultaneously inducing core lattice expansion, Pt-shell tensile strain, and surface oxophilic sites. For the methanol oxidation reaction, it exhibits a mass activity of ∼6.77 A mg-1 Pt, outperforming PtPb and commercial Pt/C. It also demonstrates exceptional long-term stability over 80 000 s and high CO tolerance, alongside promising activity for ethanol and ethylene glycol oxidation. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the synergy between the tensile-strained Pt shell and surface SnOx species optimizes the electronic structure of Pt. This optimization leads to enhanced adsorption of CH3OH and OH, weakened CO binding, and consequently, lowered energy barriers for the key steps. This work demonstrates that the synergistic design of a stable intermetallic core, a strained metal shell, and surface oxophilic species is an effective strategy for developing high-performance and durable electrocatalysts for DAFCs.
2026-06-16 | Defect engineering boosts CC bond cleavage for highly efficient ethylene glycol electrooxidation on Pd2Pb3Zn4 intermetallic compound.
Optimizing the surface-interface structure and electronic interactions of palladium-based materials is crucial for accelerating the electro-oxidation of liquid fuels; However, the sluggish kinetics and complicated oxidation process still pose formidable challenges for their application in fuel cells. Herein, we fabricated defect-rich Pd2Pb3Zn4 (D-Pd2Pb3Zn4) intermetallic compound featuring nanonetwork structure. Notably, the introduction of plumbum (Pb) element promotes the generation of an ordered palladium-based alloy, whereas the leaching of zinc (Zn) element is crucial for the creation of defects. This catalyst features a highly open structure, strong electronic effect, and sufficient active sites, demonstrating remarkable electrocatalytic activity and excellent durability for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) in alkaline electrolyte. Impressively, the mass activity of the D-Pd2Pb3Zn4/C electrocatalytic EGOR is as high as 11.9 A mgPd-1, which is 1.2 and 9.0-fold higher than that of the Pd2Pb3Zn4/C (9.86 A mgPd-1) and Pd/C (1.32 A mgPd-1) catalysts, respectively. Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses reveal that the D-Pd2Pb3Zn4/C catalyst is superior to the Pd2Pb3Zn4/C catalyst in terms of facilitating mass transfer, reducing the electrochemical activation energy, enhancing electronic conductivity, accelerating charge transfer, improving the resistance to CO poisoning, and maintaining satisfactory long-term stability. Meanwhile, in-situ fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum confirmed that the D-Pd2Pb3Zn4/C enhances the selectivity toward C1 products from ethylene glycol oxidation as compared to the Pd2Pb3Zn4/C catalyst, with an optimal selectivity of 42.7% that underscores its superior CC bond cleavage ability. This study not only provides an effective synthetic strategy for preparing Pd-based nanomaterials with defective and ordered structures, but also has important guiding significance for optimizing EGOR via the C1 pathway.
2026-04-09 | Size-Engineered PdCd Nanocubes Enable Intermediate Desorption for Enhanced Durability in Ethylene Glycol Electrooxidation.
The ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) is crucial for direct liquid fuel cells and the electrochemical upcycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate), yet its practical implementation is limited by rapid performance deactivation caused by strongly adsorbed carbonaceous intermediates. In this work, we report a colloidal synthesis method for producing monodisperse PdCd intermetallic nanocubes with precisely controlled sizes ranging from 8 to 12 nm. The ordered intermetallic structure combined with size-dependent surface electronic states significantly enhances EGOR activity and durability in alkaline media. Notably, 12 nm PdCd nanocubes deliver a high mass activity of 2.05 A mgPd-1 and demonstrates exceptional operational stability maintained over 72 h. The improved performance is attributed to its strong resistance to CO poisoning and weak adsorption of reaction intermediates such as glycolic acid. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a downshifted d-band center, reduced intermediate binding ability, and lower barriers for the potential-determining step. This work offers a rational design strategy for the development of advanced intermetallic nanocrystals as high-performance EGOR electrocatalysts.
Access all drug discovery papers and probability of success in trials forecasts:
Access all drug discovery papers and probability of success in trials forecasts:
Drug Discovery Landscape
1 orphan drug designation for Ethylene glycol poisoning, including 1 approved therapy.
1 orphan drug designation for Ethylene glycol poisoning, including 1 approved therapy.
Drug | Therapy type | Orphan designation | Clinical trial status | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
fomepizole [Antizole] | small molecules | FDA | Approved | Par Pharmaceuticals, Inc |
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