Agomelatine 138112-76-2

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Agomelatine, which is developed by the French Servier company, is the world's first melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2 agonist class of antidepressants. It applies to the treatment of adult patients with severe depressive. We know that melatonin is an endogenous neural hormones. It is only produced by the pineal gland anterior pituitary at night, and acts on the melatonin receptor that focuses on the presence of hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). It is involved in mediating the circadian rhythms in mammals. It is the well-known time guardian in the body, which can regulate the biological clock that is modulated by external circadian cycle. However, since that melatonin has high catabolism rate in vivo which mikes its half-life shorter and the selectivity of its receptor located in the SCN poorer, the treatment of circadian rhythms disorders is limited. Therefore, in order to overcome these drawbacks of melatonin, the researchers designed a series of melatonin analogues. Molecular modeling studies have shown that indole ring of melatonin is the structure sites of catabolic inactivation. Indole ring is an ideal site of isosteric modifications. Agomelatine developed by Servier company is melatonin’s naphthalene biological (electronic) isostere analogs. Indole ring is substituted by naphthalene nucleus, which leads it have more metabolic stability than melatonin.

Agomelatine is an antidepressant drug. It is classified as a norepinephrine-dopamine disinhibitor (NDDI) due to its antagonism of the 5-HT2C receptor. Activation of 5-HT2C receptors by serotonin inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine release.