Repositioning Candidate Details
Candidate ID: | R0439 |
Source ID: | DB01191 |
Source Type: | approved; illicit; investigational; withdrawn |
Compound Type: | small molecule |
Compound Name: | Dexfenfluramine |
Synonyms: | (+)-fenfluramine; (S)-fenfluramine; (S)-N-ethyl-1-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]propan-2-amine; d-N-ethyl-α-methyl-m-trifluoromethylphenethylamine; Dexfenfluramine; Dextrofenfluramine |
Molecular Formula: | C12H16F3N |
SMILES: | CCN[C@@H](C)CC1=CC=CC(=C1)C(F)(F)F |
Structure: |
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DrugBank Description: | Dexfenfluramine, also marketed under the name Redux, is a serotoninergic anorectic drug. For a fairly limited time during the middle of the nineties, the US FDA had approved it for use in managing weight loss. However, following multiple concerns about the cardiovascular side-effects of the drug, such approval was withdrawn. |
CAS Number: | 3239-44-9 |
Molecular Weight: | 231.2573 |
DrugBank Indication: | For the management of obesity including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss in patients on a reduced calorie diet |
DrugBank Pharmacology: | Used to treat diabetes and obesity, Dexfenfluramine decreases caloric intake by increasing serotonin levels in the brain’s synapses. Dexfenfluramine acts as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. It also causes release of serotonin from the synaptosomes. |
DrugBank MoA: | Dexfenfluramine binds to the serotonin reuptake pump. This causes inhbition of serotonin reuptake. The increased levels of serotonin lead to greater serotonin receptor activation which in turn lead to enhancement of serotoninergic transmission in the centres of feeding behavior located in the hypothalamus. This suppresses the appetite for carbohydrates. |
Targets: | Sodium-dependent serotonin transporter inhibitor; 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2C agonist |
Inclusion Criteria: | Therapeutic strategy associated |

Target ID | Target Name | GENE | Action | Class | UniProtKB ID | Entry Name |
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Diseases ID | DO ID | Disease Name | Definition | Class | |
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I14 | 9970 | Obesity | An overnutrition that is characterized by excess body fat, traditionally defined as an elevated ratio of weight to height (specifically 30 kilograms per meter squared), has_material_basis_in a multifactorial etiology related to excess nutrition intake, decreased caloric utilization, and genetic susceptibility, and possibly medications and certain disorders of metabolism, endocrine function, and mental illness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity | disease of metabolism/acquired metabolic disease/ nutrition disease/overnutrition | Details |