Nitemazepam (or 3-hydroxynimetazepam) 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 which was first synthesised in the 1970s but was never marketed. It is the 7-nitro instead of 7-chloro analogue of

temazepam Temazepam (sold under the brand names Restoril among others) is a medication of the benzodiazepine class which is generally used to treat severe or debilitating insomnia. It is taken by mouth. Temazepam is rapidly absorbed, and significant hypno ...

, and also the 3-hydroxy derivative of

nimetazepam Nimetazepam (marketed under brand name Erimin and Lavol) is an intermediate-acting hypnotic drug which is a benzodiazepine derivative. It was first synthesized by a team at Hoffmann-La Roche in 1964. It possesses powerful hypnotic, anxiolytic, s ...

, and an

active metabolite An active metabolite is an active form of a drug after it has been processed by the body. Metabolites of drugs An active metabolite results when a drug is metabolized by the body into a modified form which continues to produce effects in the body ...

. It has in more recent years been sold 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 ...

, first being definitively identified in Europe in 2017. It is metabolized to 7-aminonitemazepam, nimetazepam, 3-hydroxynitemazepam, temazepam, and nimetazepam glucuronide.

References

{{GABAAR PAMs Nitrobenzodiazepines Designer drugs GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators Lactims