Dexfenfluramine, formerly sold under the brand name Redux, is a
serotonergic
A serotonergic substance, medication, or receptor protein is one that affects neurotransmission pathways that involve serotonin, as follows:
* Serotonergic drugs
** Serotonin receptor agonists
** Serotonin receptor antagonists
** Serotonin reupta ...
drug that was used as an
appetite suppressant
An anorectic is a drug that reduces appetite, resulting in lower food consumption, leading to weight loss. These substances work by affecting the central nervous system or certain neurotransmitters to create a feeling of fullness or reduce the desi ...
to promote
weight loss
Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other conn ...
.
It is the d-
enantiomer
In chemistry, an enantiomer (Help:IPA/English, /ɪˈnænti.əmər, ɛ-, -oʊ-/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''ih-NAN-tee-ə-mər''), also known as an optical isomer, antipode, or optical antipode, is one of a pair of molecular entities whi ...
of
fenfluramine
Fenfluramine, sold under the brand name Fintepla, is a serotonergic medication used for the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome and Lennox–Gastaut syndrome. It was formerly used as an appetite suppressant in the treat ...
and is structurally similar to
amphetamine
Amphetamine (contracted from Alpha and beta carbon, alpha-methylphenethylamine, methylphenethylamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, an ...
, but lacks any psychologically stimulating effects.
Dexfenfluramine was, for some years in the mid-1990s, approved by the United States
Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...
(FDA) for the purposes of
weight loss
Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other conn ...
. However, following multiple concerns about its cardiovascular side effects,
the FDA withdrew the approval in 1997. After it was removed in the US, dexfenfluramine was also pulled out in other global markets. It was later superseded by
sibutramine
Sibutramine, formerly sold under the brand name Meridia among others, is an appetite suppressant which has been discontinued in many countries. It works as a serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) similar to certain antidepressant ...
, which, although initially considered a safer alternative to both dexfenfluramine and
fenfluramine
Fenfluramine, sold under the brand name Fintepla, is a serotonergic medication used for the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome and Lennox–Gastaut syndrome. It was formerly used as an appetite suppressant in the treat ...
, was likewise removed from the US market in 2010.
The drug was developed by Interneuron Pharmaceuticals, a company co-founded by
Richard Wurtman
Richard Wurtman (March 9, 1936 – December 13, 2022) was an American neuroscientist who spent his career doing basic and translational neuroscience research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Wurtman co-founded Interneuron Pharmaceuticals ...
, aimed at marketing discoveries by
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
scientists.
[ Interneuron licensed the patent to ]Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. was a pharmaceutical company until it was purchased by Pfizer in 2009. The company was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1860 as John Wyeth and Brother. Its headquarters moved to Collegeville, Pennsylvania, a ...
.[ Although at the time of its release, some optimism prevailed that it might herald a new approach,] there remained some reservations amongst neurologists, twenty-two of whom petitioned the FDA to delay approval. Their concern was based on the work of George A. Ricaurte, whose techniques and conclusions were later questioned.
See also
* Benfluorex
Benfluorex, sold under the brand name Mediator, is an anorectic and hypolipidemic agent that is structurally related to fenfluramine (a substituted amphetamine). It may improve glycemic control and decrease insulin resistance in people with ...
* Fenfluramine
Fenfluramine, sold under the brand name Fintepla, is a serotonergic medication used for the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome and Lennox–Gastaut syndrome. It was formerly used as an appetite suppressant in the treat ...
* Levofenfluramine
Levofenfluramine ( INN), or (−)-3-trifluoromethyl-''N''-ethylamphetamine, also known as (−)-fenfluramine or (''R'')-fenfluramine, is a drug of the amphetamine family that, itself (i.e., in enantiopure form), was never marketed alone. It is ...
* Norfenfluramine
Norfenfluramine, or 3-trifluoromethylamphetamine, is a never-marketed drug of the amphetamine family and a major active metabolite of the appetite suppressants fenfluramine and benfluorex. The compound is a racemic mixture of two enantiomers wit ...
References
External links
Drug description
* ttps://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/prescription/interviews/lutwak.html Frontline: Dangerous prescriptions��Interview with Leo Lutwak, M.D. in which he discuses the side effects of fenfluramine, its successor Redux, and the Fen-Phen
The medication, drug combination fenfluramine/phentermine, usually called fen-phen, is an anti-obesity medication that is no longer widely available. It was sold in the early 1990s, and utilized two anorectics. Fenfluramine was marketed by Americ ...
combination
{{Phenethylamines
5-HT2B agonists
Cardiotoxins
Enantiopure drugs
Serotonin receptor agonists
Serotonin releasing agents
Substituted amphetamines
Trifluoromethyl compounds
Withdrawn anti-obesity drugs
Withdrawn drugs