Synonyms: Adifax® | Fintepla® | Pondimin® | ZX008
fenfluramine is an approved drug (FDA (2020))
Compound class:
Synthetic organic
Comment: The approved drug was called dexfenfluramine, but was withdrawn from use due to adverse cardiac events [1,3].
Ligand Activity Visualisation ChartsThese are box plot that provide a unique visualisation, summarising all the activity data for a ligand taken from ChEMBL and GtoPdb across multiple targets and species. Click on a plot to see the median, interquartile range, low and high data points. A value of zero indicates that no data are available. A separate chart is created for each target, and where possible the algorithm tries to merge ChEMBL and GtoPdb targets by matching them on name and UniProt accession, for each available species. However, please note that inconsistency in naming of targets may lead to data for the same target being reported across multiple charts. ✖ |
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No information available. |
Summary of Clinical Use |
This drug was approved as a weight-loss aid, which suppressed appetite for carbohydrates but was withdrawn from the market for this use. It has subsequently been repositioned as an anti-seizure drug, for use in paediatric onset epilepsy syndromes. In June 2020, the FDA granted approval for an oral solution of fenfluramine (Fintepla®) as a treatment for seizures associated with Dravet syndrome in patients ≥2 years of age [4]. |
Mechanism Of Action and Pharmacodynamic Effects |
Dexfenfluramine binds to and inhibits the serotonin reuptake pump causing elevated serotonin levels.This results in elevated serotoninergic transmission in the hypothalamic centres which control feeding behavior, which manifests as a decreased appetite for carbohydrate. The drug also affects the activity of the serotonin 5HT2C receptor [5]. |
Clinical Trials | |||||
Clinical Trial ID | Title | Type | Source | Comment | References |
NCT03936777 | A Study to Investigate the Long-Term Safety of ZX008 (Fenfluramine Hydrochloride) Oral Solution in Children and Adults With Epileptic Encephalopathy Including Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome | Phase 3 Interventional | Zogenix, Inc. | ||
NCT03861871 | Fenfluramine in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD) | Phase 2 Interventional | NYU Langone Health | ||
NCT04437004 | Treatment of Dravet Syndrome With Fenfluramine (Expanded Access Protocol) | Expanded Access | University of California, Los Angeles |