Glutarimide is the
organic compound
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. T ...
with the formula (CH
2)
3(CO)
2NH. It is a white solid. The compound forms upon dehydration of the amide of
glutaric acid
Glutaric acid is the organic compound with the formula C3H6(COOH)2 . Although the related "linear" dicarboxylic acids adipic and succinic acids are water-soluble only to a few percent at room temperature, the water-solubility of glutaric acid is ...
.
Glutarimide is sometimes called 2,6-piperidinedione. It is the core of a variety of
drugs, including
thalidomide
Thalidomide, sold under the brand names Contergan and Thalomid among others, is a medication used to treat a number of cancers (including multiple myeloma), graft-versus-host disease, and a number of skin conditions including complications o ...
, a medication used to treat
multiple myeloma and
leprosy
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...
,
and
cycloheximide, a potent inhibitor of protein synthesis.
References
{{organic-compound-stub