Phendimetrazine (Bontril, Adipost, Anorex-SR, Appecon, Melfiat, Obezine, Phendiet, Plegine, Prelu-2, Statobex) is a

stimulant Stimulants (also often referred to as psychostimulants or colloquially as uppers) is an overarching term that covers many drugs including those that increase activity of the central nervous system and the body, drugs that are pleasurable and inv ...

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhala ...

of the

morpholine Morpholine is an organic chemical compound having the chemical formula O( C H2CH2)2 NH. This heterocycle features both amine and ether functional groups. Because of the amine, morpholine is a base; its conjugate acid is called morpholinium. Fo ...

chemical class Chemical classification systems attempt to classify elements or compounds according to certain chemical functional or structural properties. Whereas the structural properties are largely intrinsic, functional properties and the derived classificati ...

used as an

appetite suppressant An anorectic or anorexic is a drug which reduces appetite, resulting in lower food consumption, leading to weight loss. By contrast, an appetite stimulant is referred to as orexigenic. The term is (from the Greek ''ἀν-'' (an-) = "without" ...

Pharmacology

Phendimetrazine functions as a

prodrug A prodrug is a medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be used to improve how the dru ...

phenmetrazine Phenmetrazine ( INN, USAN, BAN) (brand name Preludin, and many others) is a stimulant drug first synthesized in 1952 and originally used as an appetite suppressant, but withdrawn from the market in the 1980s due to widespread abuse. It was initi ...

; approximately 30 percent of an oral dose is converted into it. Phendimetrazine can essentially be thought of as an

extended-release Modified-release dosage is a mechanism that (in contrast to immediate-release dosage) delivers a drug with a delay after its administration (delayed-release dosage) or for a prolonged period of time (extended-release R, XR, XLdosage) or to a spe ...

formulation of phenmetrazine with less potential for abuse. Phendimetrazine is an

anorectic An anorectic or anorexic is a drug which reduces appetite, resulting in lower food consumption, leading to weight loss. By contrast, an appetite stimulant is referred to as orexigenic. The term is (from the Greek ''ἀν-'' (an-) = "without" a ...

drug which acts as a

norepinephrine Norepinephrine (NE), also called noradrenaline (NA) or noradrenalin, is an organic chemical in the catecholamine family that functions in the brain and body as both a hormone and neurotransmitter. The name "noradrenaline" (from Latin '' ad ...

dopamine Dopamine (DA, a contraction of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is a neuromodulatory molecule that plays several important roles in cells. It is an organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. Dopamine constitutes about 80% o ...

releasing agent A monoamine releasing agent (MRA), or simply monoamine releaser, is a drug that induces the synapse, release of a monoamine neurotransmitter from the synapse, presynaptic neuron into the synapse, leading to an increase in the extracellular conc ...

(NDRA). As an amphetamine congener, its structure incorporates the backbone of

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamp ...

, a potent CNS stimulant. While the addition of an N-

methyl group In organic chemistry, a methyl group is an alkyl derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms, having chemical formula . In formulas, the group is often abbreviated as Me. This hydrocarbon group occurs in ma ...

to amphetamine significantly increases its

potency Potency may refer to: * Potency (pharmacology), a measure of the activity of a drug in a biological system * Virility * Cell potency, a measure of the differentiation potential of stem cells * In homeopathic dilutions, potency is a measure of how ...

and

bioavailability In pharmacology, bioavailability is a subcategory of absorption and is the fraction (%) of an administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation. By definition, when a medication is administered intravenously, its bioavailability is 100%. Ho ...

methylation In the chemical sciences, methylation denotes the addition of a methyl group on a substrate, or the substitution of an atom (or group) by a methyl group. Methylation is a form of alkylation, with a methyl group replacing a hydrogen atom. These ...

of phenmetrazine renders the compound virtually inactive. However, phendimetrazine is a

for phenmetrazine which acts as the active metabolite. Phendimetrazine possesses preferable

pharmacokinetic Pharmacokinetics (from Ancient Greek ''pharmakon'' "drug" and ''kinetikos'' "moving, putting in motion"; see chemical kinetics), sometimes abbreviated as PK, is a branch of pharmacology dedicated to determining the fate of substances administered ...

s over phenmetrazine as a therapeutic agent because its metabolization by

demethylase Demethylases are enzymes that remove methyl (CH3) groups from nucleic acids, proteins (particularly histones), and other molecules. Demethylases are important epigenetics, epigenetic proteins, as they are responsible for transcriptional regulation ...

s produces a more steady and prolonged exposure of active drug within the body. This decreases abuse potential as the peak blood-concentration of active phenmetrazine that's produced from a single dose of phendimetrazine is lower than a single therapeutically equivalent dose of phenmetrazine. Indicated as a short-term secondary treatment for exogenous obesity, phendimetrazine immediate-release 35mg tablets are typically consumed one hour before meals, not to exceed three doses daily. Phendimetrazine is also manufactured as a 105mg extended-release capsule for once daily dosing, typically consumed 30 to 60 minutes before a morning meal. Whereas the immediate-release formulation has a maximum daily dosage of 210mg (6 tablets), the extended-release capsules have a maximum daily dosage of 105mg (one capsule).

Legality

According to the List of Psychotropic Substances under International Control published by the

International Narcotics Control Board The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is an independent treaty body, one of the four treaty-mandated bodies under international drug control law (alongside the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, UNODC on behalf of the Secretary-General, ...

, phendimetrazine is a

Schedule III controlled substance The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances. While some drugs are illegal to possess, many governments regulate t ...

under the

Convention on Psychotropic Substances The Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 is a United Nations treaty designed to control psychoactive drugs such as amphetamine-type stimulants, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and psychedelics signed in Vienna, Austria on 21 February ...

References

{{Phenethylamines Antiobesity drugs Anorectics Phenylmorpholines Substituted amphetamines Euphoriants Norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agents

Pharmacology

Legality

See also

References