Norepinephrine (medication)

Norepinephrine
Clinical data
Trade names	Levarterenol, Levophed, Norepin
Other names	Noradrenaline; (R)-(–)-Norepinephrine; l-1-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-2-aminoethanol
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
License data	US FDA: Norepinephrine;
Pregnancy; category	AU: B3; ;
Routes of; administration	Intravenous
ATC code	C01CA03 (WHO) ;
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only); CA: ℞-only; UK: POM (Prescription only); US: ℞-only;
Pharmacokinetic data
Metabolism	Hepatic
Excretion	Urine (84–96%)
Identifiers
	IUPAC name 4-[(1R)-2-amino-1-hydroxyethyl]benzene-1,2-diol;
CAS Number	51-41-2 ;
PubChem CID	439260;
IUPHAR/BPS	505;
DrugBank	DB00368 ;
ChemSpider	388394 ;
UNII	X4W3ENH1CV;
KEGG	D00076 ;
ChEBI	CHEBI:18357 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL1437 ;
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C8H11NO3
Molar mass	169.18 g/mol g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
Density	1.397±0.06 g/cm3
Melting point	217 °C (423 °F) (decomposes)
Boiling point	442.6 °C (828.7 °F) ±40.0°C
	SMILES Oc1ccc(cc1O)[C@@H](O)CN;
	InChI InChI=1S/C8H11NO3/c9-4-8(12)5-1-2-6(10)7(11)3-5/h1-3,8,10-12H,4,9H2/t8-/m0/s1 ; Key:SFLSHLFXELFNJZ-QMMMGPOBSA-N ;
	(verify)

Norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, is a medication used to treat people with very low blood pressure. It is manufactured with the same formulation as the hormone and neurotransmitter norepinephrine. It is given intravenously.

At high doses, and especially when it is combined with other vasopressors, it can lead to limb ischemia and limb death.

Medical uses

Norepinephrine is used mainly as a sympathomimetic drug to treat people in vasodilatory shock states such as septic shock and neurogenic shock, while showing fewer adverse side-effects compared to dopamine treatment.^[1]

It acts on both α₁ and α₂ adrenergic receptors to cause blood vessel contraction. Its effects are often limited to the increasing of blood pressure through agonist activity on α₁ and α₂ receptors, and causing a resultant increase in peripheral vascular resistance.

Norepinephrine is the INN while noradrenaline is the BAN.

^ De Backer D, Biston P, Devriendt J, Madl C, Chochrad D, Aldecoa C, Brasseur A, Defrance P, Gottignies P, Vincent JL (March 2010). "Comparison of dopamine and norepinephrine in the treatment of shock". The New England Journal of Medicine. 362 (9): 779–89. doi:10.1056/nejmoa0907118. PMID 20200382.