Droxidopa

Droxidopa
Clinical data
Trade namesNorthera, Dops
Other names3,4-Dihydroxyphenylserine; 3,4-threo-DOPS; L-threo-Dihydroxyphenylserine; L-DOPS; L-threo-DOPS; Threo-DOPS; β,3-Dihydroxytyrosine; (–)-threo-3-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-L-serine; SM-5688
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa614025
License data
Routes of
administration		By mouth
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • US: WARNING[1]Rx-only
  • In general: ℞ (Prescription only)
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability90%
MetabolismLiver
MetabolitesNorepinephrine
Elimination half-life1.5 hours
ExcretionKidney
Identifiers
  • (2S,3R)-2-Amino-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropanoic acid
CAS Number
PubChem CID
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.215.254 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC9H11NO5
Molar mass213.189 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • N[C@H](C(=O)O)[C@H](O)c1ccc(O)c(O)c1
  • InChI=1S/C9H11NO5/c10-7(9(14)15)8(13)4-1-2-5(11)6(12)3-4/h1-3,7-8,11-13H,10H2,(H,14,15)/t7-,8+/m0/s1
  • Key:QXWYKJLNLSIPIN-JGVFFNPUSA-Na
  (verify)

Droxidopa, also known as L-threo-dihydroxyphenylserine (L-DOPS) and sold under the brand names Northera and Dops among others, is sympathomimetic medication which is used in the treatment of hypotension (low blood pressure) and for other indications.[2][3] It is taken by mouth.[2]

Side effects of droxidopa include headache, dizziness, nausea, and hypertension, among others.[2] Droxidopa is a synthetic amino acid precursor which acts as a prodrug to the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (noradrenaline).[4] Hence, it acts as a non-selective agonist of the α- and β-adrenergic receptors. Unlike norepinephrine, but similarly to levodopa (L-DOPA), droxidopa is capable of crossing the protective blood–brain barrier (BBB).[4]

Droxidopa was first described by 1971.[5][6] It was approved for use in Japan in 1989[7] and was introduced in the United States in 2014.[2][8]

  1. ^ "FDA-sourced list of all drugs with black box warnings (Use Download Full Results and View Query links.)". nctr-crs.fda.gov. FDA. Retrieved 22 Oct 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/203202s007lbl.pdf
  3. ^ "Sumitomo Pharma/Lundbeck". AdisInsight. 2023-11-05. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  4. ^ a b Goldstein DS (2006). "L-Dihydroxyphenylserine (L-DOPS): a norepinephrine prodrug". Cardiovascular Drug Reviews. 24 (3–4): 189–203. doi:10.1111/j.1527-3466.2006.00189.x. PMID 17214596.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Robson1971 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference RedmondOlanderMaas1975 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mathias2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference NewsMedical2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).