Deuterated drug

Chemical structures of ethyl linoleate — natural (top) and its deuterated version 11,11-D2-ethyl linoleate. Protium hydrogen atoms (H) are explicitly shown where they are replaced with deuterium atoms (D).

A deuterated drug is a small molecule medicinal product in which one or more of the hydrogen atoms in the drug molecule have been replaced by its heavier stable isotope deuterium. Because of the kinetic isotope effect, deuterium-containing drugs may have significantly lower rates of metabolism, and hence a longer half-life.[1][2][3]

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  3. ^ Gant TG (May 2014). "Using deuterium in drug discovery: leaving the label in the drug". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 57 (9): 3595–3611. doi:10.1021/jm4007998. PMID 24294889.