Clopenthixol
Encyclopedia
Clopenthixol also known as clopentixol, is a typical antipsychotic
drug
of the thioxanthene
class. It was introduced by Lundbeck
in 1961.
Clopenthixol is a racemic mixture of cis and trans isomer
s. Zuclopenthixol
, the pure cis isomer, was later introduced by Lundbeck in 1962, and has been much more widely used. Both drugs are equally effective as antipsychotics and have similar adverse effect
profiles, but clopenthixol is half as active on a milligram-to-milligram basis and appears to produce more sedation
in comparison.
Typical antipsychotic
Typical antipsychotics are a class of antipsychotic drugs first developed in the 1950s and used to treat psychosis...
drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
of the thioxanthene
Thioxanthene
Thioxanthene is a chemical compound in which the oxygen atom in xanthene is replaced with a sulfur atom. It is also related to phenothiazine. Several of its derivatives are used as typical antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychoses....
class. It was introduced by Lundbeck
Lundbeck
H. Lundbeck A/S is a Danish international pharmaceutical company engaged in the research and development, production, marketing, and sale of drugs for the treatment of disorders in the central nervous system , including depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease,...
in 1961.
Clopenthixol is a racemic mixture of cis and trans isomer
Isomer
In chemistry, isomers are compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulas. Isomers do not necessarily share similar properties, unless they also have the same functional groups. There are many different classes of isomers, like stereoisomers, enantiomers, geometrical...
s. Zuclopenthixol
Zuclopenthixol
Zuclopenthixol , also known as zuclopentixol, is a typical antipsychotic drug of the thioxanthene class...
, the pure cis isomer, was later introduced by Lundbeck in 1962, and has been much more widely used. Both drugs are equally effective as antipsychotics and have similar adverse effect
Adverse drug reaction
An adverse drug reaction is an expression that describes harm associated with the use of given medications at a normal dosage. ADRs may occur following a single dose or prolonged administration of a drug or result from the combination of two or more drugs...
profiles, but clopenthixol is half as active on a milligram-to-milligram basis and appears to produce more sedation
Sedation
Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure...
in comparison.