SN 35210 is an
arylcyclohexylamine dissociative anesthetic drug. It was derived from
ketamine
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used medically for induction and maintenance of anesthesia. It is also used as a recreational drug. It is one of the safest anesthetics, as, in contrast with opiates, ether, and propofol, it suppresses ne ...
with the intention of producing a shorter acting agent more suitable to be used as a stand-alone drug, whereas ketamine itself generally has to be used in combination with other drugs such as
midazolam to minimise the occurrence of
emergence reactions due to its
hallucinogenic side effects. In common with other short-acting anaesthetic drugs such as
remifentanil
Remifentanil is a potent, short-acting synthetic opioid analgesic drug. It is given to patients during surgery to relieve pain and as an adjunct to an anaesthetic. Remifentanil is used for sedation as well as combined with other medications fo ...
and
remimazolam
Remimazolam, sold under the brand name Byfavo, is a medication for the induction and maintenance of procedural sedation in adults for invasive diagnostic or surgical procedures lasting 30 minutes or less. It is a benzodiazepine drug, developed ...
, SN 35210 has had the
chemical structure
A chemical structure determination includes a chemist's specifying the molecular geometry and, when feasible and necessary, the electronic structure of the target molecule or other solid. Molecular geometry refers to the spatial arrangement of at ...
modified to incorporate a methyl
ester
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ar ...
group which is rapidly metabolised to a
carboxylic acid
In organic chemistry, a carboxylic acid is an organic acid that contains a carboxyl group () attached to an R-group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is or , with R referring to the alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or other group. Carboxylic ...
, producing an inactive compound and thus rapidly terminating the effects of the drug. It was selected for development from a series of structurally related alkyl esters due to having the shortest duration of action and the most similar pharmacological profile to ketamine itself.
References
Arylcyclohexylamines
Dissociative drugs
NMDA receptor antagonists
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