Epibatidine

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Epibatidine
IUPAC name (4S,6R)-6-(6-chloro-3-pyridyl)-

7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane

Identifiers
CAS number [140111-52-0]
PubChem 105084
MeSH Epibatidine
SMILES C1CC2C(CC1N2)C3=CN=C(C=C3)Cl
Properties
Molecular formula C11H13ClN2
Molar mass 208.687
Melting point

59-66 °C

Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 °C, 100 kPa)

Infobox disclaimer and references

Epibatidine is an alkaloid that originally is found in the skin of a neotropical poisonous frog, Epipedobates tricolor, found in modern Ecuador. It was initially isolated by John Daly at the National Institutes of Health, and was found to be a powerful analgesic, about 200 times more potent than morphine.[1] Because the natural source of epibatidine can only supply a small quantity, several laboratory syntheses have been developed.[2]

Interestingly, the compound is not an opioid; instead, it is similar to nicotine and appears to act by binding and activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. While epibatidine may be too toxic to use in clinical practice, the compound represents a new lead in the drug design of new analgesics.[3]

Of the tested epibatidine derivatives, Abbot Labs' ABT-594 (Tebanicline) is the most promising reported to date. ABT-594 was discovered to be 50 times more potent than morphine, yet on animal tests, no paralysis or depression of muscle action was observed. It completed Phase II clinical trials in Europe,[4] but while it showed clinical efficacy for treating neuropathic pain in humans it was dropped from further development due to unacceptable incidence of gastrointestinal side effects.[5] Further research in this area is ongoing.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ *Epibatidine - A review by Matthew J. Dowd
  2. ^ Olivo, Horacio F.; Hemenway, Michael S. Recent syntheses of epibatidine. A review. Organic Preparations and Procedures International (2002), 34(1), 1-26.
  3. ^ Carroll, F. Ivy. Epibatidine structure-activity relationships. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters (2004), 14(8), 1889-1896.
  4. ^ The New Morphine
  5. ^ Meyer MD. Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors as a Target for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain. Drug Development Research. 2006; 67: 355-359.
  6. ^ Bunnelle WH, Daanen JF, Ryther KB, Schrimpf MR, Dart MJ, Gelain A, Meyer MD, Frost JM, Anderson DJ, Buckley M, Curzon P, Cao YJ, Puttfarcken P, Searle X, Ji J, Putman CB, Surowy C, Toma L, Barlocco D. Structure-activity studies and analgesic efficacy of N-(3-pyridinyl)-bridged bicyclic diamines, exceptionally potent agonists at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2007 Jul 26;50(15):3627-44. PMID 17585748

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