Dexfenfluramine
Serotonergic anorectic medication
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dexfenfluramine, formerly sold under the brand name Redux, is a serotonergic drug that was used as an appetite suppressant to promote weight loss.[2] It is the d-enantiomer of fenfluramine and is structurally similar to amphetamine, but lacks any psychologically stimulating effects.
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| Trade names | Redux |
| Other names | Dextrofenfluramine; d-Fenfluramine; (S)-Fenfluramine; S-Fenfluramine; (+)-Fenfluramine; S(+)-Fenfluramine; (S)-(+)-Fenfluramine |
| MedlinePlus | a682088 |
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| Protein binding | 36% |
| Metabolites | Dexnorfenfluramine |
| Elimination half-life | 17–20 hours |
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| Formula | C12H16F3N |
| Molar mass | 231.262 g·mol−1 |
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Dexfenfluramine was, for some years in the mid-1990s, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the purposes of weight loss. However, following multiple concerns about its cardiovascular side effects,[2] the FDA withdrew the approval in 1997.[3] After it was removed in the US, dexfenfluramine was also pulled out in other global markets. It was later superseded by sibutramine, which, although initially considered a safer alternative to both dexfenfluramine and fenfluramine,[4][5][6] was likewise removed from the US market in 2010.[7][8]
The drug was developed by Interneuron Pharmaceuticals, a company co-founded by Richard Wurtman, aimed at marketing discoveries by Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists.[9] Interneuron licensed the patent to Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories.[10] Although at the time of its release, some optimism prevailed that it might herald a new approach,[11] there remained some reservations amongst neurologists, twenty-two of whom petitioned the FDA to delay approval.[citation needed] Their concern was based on the work of George A. Ricaurte, whose techniques and conclusions were later questioned.[12]