Metopimazine (, , ), sold under the brand names Nortrip, Vogalen, and Vogalene, is an

antiemetic An antiemetic is a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea. Antiemetics are typically used to treat motion sickness and the side effects of opioid analgesics, general anaesthetics, and chemotherapy directed against cancer. They may ...

of the

phenothiazine Phenothiazine, abbreviated PTZ, is an organic compound that has the formula S(C6H4)2NH and is related to the thiazine-class of heterocyclic compounds. Derivatives of phenothiazine are highly bioactive and have widespread use and rich history. T ...

group which is used to treat

nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...

and

vomiting Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the Human nose, nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like Food-poisoning, foo ...

. It is marketed in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. As of August 2020, metopimazine has been repurposed and is additionally under development for use in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

for the treatment of

gastroparesis Gastroparesis (gastro- from Ancient Greek γαστήρ – gaster, "stomach"; and -paresis, πάρεσις – "partial paralysis"), also called delayed gastric emptying, is a medical disorder consisting of weak muscular contractions (peristalsis) ...

. Metopimazine has

antidopaminergic A dopamine antagonist, also known as an anti-dopaminergic and a dopamine receptor antagonist (DRA), is a type of drug which blocks dopamine receptors by receptor antagonism. Most antipsychotics are dopamine antagonists, and as such they have ...

antihistamine Antihistamines are drugs which treat allergic rhinitis, common cold, influenza, and other allergies. Typically, people take antihistamines as an inexpensive, generic (not patented) drug that can be bought without a prescription and provides re ...

, and

anticholinergic Anticholinergics (anticholinergic agents) are substances that block the action of the neurotransmitter called acetylcholine (ACh) at synapses in the central and peripheral nervous system. These agents inhibit the parasympathetic nervous system ...

activity. However, it has also been described as a highly potent and selective

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

D₂ and D₃ receptor

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...

. The D₂ receptor antagonism of metopimazine is thought to underlie its antiemetic and gastroprokinetic effects. It is said to not readily cross the

blood–brain barrier The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective semipermeable membrane, semipermeable border of endothelium, endothelial cells that prevents solutes in the circulating blood from ''non-selectively'' crossing into the extracellular fluid of ...

and hence to have peripheral selectivity, in contrast to

metoclopramide Metoclopramide is a medication used for stomach and esophageal problems. It is commonly used to treat and prevent nausea and vomiting, to help with emptying of the stomach in people with delayed stomach emptying, and to help with gastroesoph ...

but similarly to

domperidone Domperidone, sold under the brand name Motilium among others, is a dopamine antagonist medication which is used to treat nausea and vomiting and certain gastrointestinal problems like gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying). It raises the le ...

. Unlike domperidone however, metopimazine shows no

hERG hERG (the human '' Ether-à-go-go''-Related Gene) is a gene () that codes for a protein known as Kv11.1, the alpha subunit of a potassium ion channel. This ion channel (sometimes simply denoted as 'hERG') is best known for its contribution to th ...

inhibition and hence is expected to have a more favorable

cardiovascular The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...

profile. In contrast to metoclopramide, metopimazine does not interact with

serotonin Serotonin () or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Its biological function is complex and multifaceted, modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning, memory, and numerous physiological processes such as vomiting and vas ...

5-HT₃ and 5-HT₄ receptors.

Synthesis

For the first step, 2-Methylthiophenothiazine 643-08-5(1) is protected by sequential reaction with sodium amide and

acetic anhydride Acetic anhydride, or ethanoic anhydride, is the chemical compound with the formula (CH3CO)2O. Commonly abbreviated Ac2O, it is the simplest isolable anhydride of a carboxylic acid and is widely used as a reagent in organic synthesis. It is a col ...

to give 1- -(Methylthio)-10H-phenothiazin-10-ylthanone 3503-69-7(2). Oxidation with peracid proceeds preferentially on the more electron-rich alkyl thioether to give the sulfone. Upon hydrolysis of the acetate this affords 2-(methylsulfonyl)-10h-phenothiazine 3503-68-6(3). Alkylation with

1-Bromo-3-chloropropane 1-Bromo-3-chloropropane is an organohalogen compound with the formula Br(CH2)3Cl. It is a colorless liquid, produced by free-radical addition of hydrogen bromide to allyl chloride. It is used as an alkylating agent to install the –(CH2)3Cl an ...

(4) gives 10-(3-chloropropyl)-2-methylsulfonylphenothiazine 0051-30-7(5). Alkylation with piperidine-4-carboxamide (Isonipecotamide) 9546-32-2(6) affords metopimazine (7).

References

External links

Metopimazine - AdisInsight
Antiemetics Benzosulfones Carboxamides D2 antagonists D3 antagonists H1 receptor antagonists Motility stimulants Muscarinic antagonists Peripherally selective drugs Phenothiazines Piperidines {{Gastrointestinal-drug-stub