A 38-year-old woman develops palpitations, weight loss, and heat intolerance. On examination, she has a mild tremor, an enlarged thyroid, and resting tachycardia. Biochemical tests confirm the diagnosis and she is started on methimazole. Which of the following is the most likely mechanism of this drug?
High-Yield Explanation
Methimazole is an effective treatment for hyperthyroidism. Methimazole interferes with thyroid function mainly by inhibition of thyroidal organic binding and coupling reactions. In contrast to other agents such as perchlorate, the action of thioamides is not prevented by large doses of iodide.