[4] Common side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and low blood neutrophil levels.

[4] It works by binding with lead and a number of other heavy metals, allowing them to leave the body in the urine.

The use of dimercaptosuccinic acid is not approved for prevention of lead poisoning in anticipation of exposure in known lead-contaminated environments.

This colorless solid contains two carboxylic acid and two thiol groups, the latter being responsible for its mildly unpleasant odour.

Dimercaptosuccinic acid was first synthesized by V. L. Nirenburg in the Urals Polytechnic Institute, commissioned by one of the electrical enterprises of Sverdlovsk, Russia, which consumed many tons of mercury and was looking for a medicine to prevent poisoning of personnel.

In 1957, Chinese scientists found that dimercaptosuccinic acid can effectively treat antimony poisoning due to overdose of tartar emetic.