Modafinil sulfone (code name CRL-41056) is an achiral, oxidizedmetabolite of modafinil, a wakefulness-promoting agent. It is one of two major circulating metabolites of modafinil, the other being modafinil acid. Modafinil sulfone is also a metabolite of the modafinil prodrug, adrafinil. Modafinil sulfone is also a metabolite of armodafinil, the (R)-(–)-enantiomer of modafinil, as oxidation to the sulfone removes the chiral center at the sulfur atom. Modafinil sulfone has been described as inactive,[1] and similarly to modafinil acid, does not appear to contribute to the wakefulness-promoting effects of modafinil.[2][3][4] However, like modafinil, modafinil sulfone was found to show anticonvulsant properties in animals, indicating that it does possess some biological activity.[5][6][7]
^Wong YN, Wang L, Hartman L, Simcoe D, Chen Y, Laughton W, Eldon R, Markland C, Grebow P (1998). "Comparison of the Single-Dose Pharmacokinetics and Tolerability of Modafinil and Dextroamphetamine Administered Alone or in Combination in Healthy Male Volunteers". The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 38 (10): 971–978. doi:10.1002/j.1552-4604.1998.tb04395.x. ISSN0091-2700. PMID9807980. S2CID32857213.
^Chatterjie N, Stables JP, Wang H, Alexander GJ (2004). "Anti-narcoleptic agent modafinil and its sulfone: a novel facile synthesis and potential anti-epileptic activity". Neurochem. Res. 29 (8): 1481–6. doi:10.1023/b:nere.0000029559.20581.1a. PMID15260124. S2CID956077.