Sulfaclomide is a sulfonamide derivative structurally similar to p-aminobenzoic acid, patented by VEB Farbenfabrik Wolfen as antibacterial agent useful for the treatment of infectious diseases. Sulfanilamide competes with p-aminobenzoic acid for the bacterial enzyme dihydropteroate synthase, thereby preventing the incorporation of p-aminobenzoic acid into dihydrofolic acid, the immediate precursor of folic acid. This leads to an inhibition of bacterial folic acid synthesis and de novo synthesis of purines and pyrimidines, ultimately resulting in cell growth arrest and cell death.