Meclonazepam ((''S'')-3-methylclonazepam) was discovered by a team at
Hoffmann-La Roche
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, commonly known as Roche, is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has shares listed on the SIX ...
in the 1970s and is a drug which is a
benzodiazepine
Benzodiazepines (BZD, BDZ, BZs), sometimes called "benzos", are a class of depressant drugs whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. They are prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety disorders, ...
derivative similar in structure to
clonazepam
Clonazepam, sold under the brand names Klonopin and Rivotril, is a medication used to prevent and treat seizures, panic disorder, anxiety disorders, and the movement disorder known as akathisia. It is a tranquilizer of the benzodiazepine clas ...
. It has
sedative
A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are CNS depressants and interact with brain activity causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but t ...
and
anxiolytic
An anxiolytic (; also antipanic or antianxiety agent) is a medication or other intervention that reduces anxiety. This effect is in contrast to anxiogenic agents which increase anxiety. Anxiolytic medications are used for the treatment of anxi ...
actions like those of other benzodiazepines, and also has anti-parasitic effects against the parasitic worm ''
Schistosoma mansoni
A paired couple of ''Schistosoma mansoni''.
''Schistosoma mansoni'' is a water-borne parasite of humans, and belongs to the group of blood flukes (''Schistosoma''). The adult lives in the blood vessels ( mesenteric veins) near the human inte ...
''.
Meclonazepam was never used as medicine and instead appeared online as a
designer drug
A designer drug is a structural or functional analog of a controlled substance that has been designed to mimic the pharmacological effects of the original drug, while avoiding classification as illegal and/or detection in standard drug tests. Des ...
.
Legal Issues
United Kingdom
In the UK, meclonazepam has been classified as a
Class C drug
These drugs are known in the UK as ''controlled drugs'', because this is the term by which the act itself refers to them. In more general terms, however, many of these drugs are also controlled by the Medicines Act 1968, there are many other drug ...
by the May 2017 amendment to
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 along with several other designer benzodiazepine drugs.
See also
*
3-Hydroxyphenazepam
*
Desmethylflunitrazepam
Desmethylflunitrazepam (also known as norflunitrazepam, Ro05-4435 and fonazepam) is a benzodiazepine that is a metabolite of flunitrazepam and has been sold online as a designer drug. It has an IC50 value of 1.499 nM for the GABAA receptor.
S ...
*
Nifoxipam
Nifoxipam (3-hydroxydesmethylflunitrazepam, DP 370) is a benzodiazepine that is a minor metabolite of flunitrazepam and has been sold online as a designer drug.
Nifoxipam produces strong tranquillising and sleep-prolonging effects and has much l ...
*
Oxazepam
Oxazepam is a short-to-intermediate-acting benzodiazepine. Oxazepam is used for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia and in the control of symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
It is a metabolite of diazepam, prazepam, and temazepam, and has ...
*
Phenazepam
Phenazepam (also known in Russia as bromdihydrochlorphenylbenzodiazepine) is a benzodiazepine drug, which was developed in the Soviet Union in 1975, and now produced in Russia and some CIS countries.
Phenazepam is used in the treatment of vari ...
*
Ro05-4082
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SH-I-048A
SH-I-048A (SH-i-048A) is a benzodiazepine derivative related in structure to compounds such as flubromazepam and meclonazepam. SH-I-048A is described as a non subtype selective superagonist at the benzodiazepine site of GABAA receptors, with ...
References
Further reading
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Chloroarenes
Designer drugs
GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators
Lactams
Nitrobenzodiazepines
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