Pronethalol (also known as nethalide or compound 38,174; trade name Alderlin) was an early non-selective

beta blocker Beta blockers, also spelled β-blockers, are a class of medications that are predominantly used to manage cardiac arrhythmia, abnormal heart rhythms, and to protect the heart from a second myocardial infarction, heart attack after a first heart ...

clinical candidate. It was the first beta blocker to be developed by James Black and associates at

Imperial Chemical Industries Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was a British chemical company. It was, for much of its history, the largest manufacturer in Britain. It was formed by the merger of four leading British chemical companies in 1926. Its headquarters were at M ...

, and the first to enter clinical use, in November 1963. However, it was never used widely due to

carcinogenicity A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive sub ...

in mice, which was thought to result from formation of a carcinogenic

naphthalene epoxide Benzo 'a''yrene (B''a''P or B ) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and the result of incomplete combustion of organic matter at temperatures between and . The ubiquitous compound can be found in coal tar, tobacco smoke and many foods, espe ...

metabolite, and was superseded by

propranolol Propranolol, sold under the brand name Inderal among others, is a medication of the beta blocker class. It is used to treat high blood pressure, a number of types of irregular heart rate, thyrotoxicosis, capillary hemangiomas, performance anx ...

from 1965 onward.

References

Beta blockers 2-Naphthyl compounds Phenylethanolamines {{antihypertensive-stub

See also

References