Methoxamine

The long duration of action of methoxamine has been said to have rendered it obsolete in modern clinical practice.

Methoxamine is an α₁-adrenergic receptor agonist. It is described as a long-acting α₁-adrenergic receptor agonist and this is contrasted with phenylephrine which is said to be short-acting. Phenylephrine is 5 to 10 times more potent than methoxamine and has a 3-fold higher maximal effect.

Methoxamine, also known as 2,5-dimethoxy-β-hydroxy-α-methylphenethylamine or as 2,5-dimethoxy-β-hydroxyamphetamine, is a substituted phenethylamine and amphetamine derivative.

Analogues

Analogues of methoxamine include desglymidodrine (2,5-dimethoxy-β-hydroxyphenethylamine), dimetofrine (3,5-dimethoxy-4,β-dihydroxy-N-methylphenethylamine), 2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine (2,5-DMA), butaxamine ((1S,2S)-2,5-dimethoxy-β-hydroxy-N-tert-butylamphetamine), methoxyphenamine (2-methoxy-N-methylamphetamine), and β-hydroxyamphetamine (e.g., phenylpropanolamine, norpseudoephedrine), among others.

Methoxamine was synthesized by 1944. It was marketed in the United States by 1949.

Names

Methoxamine is the generic name of the drug and its INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name and BANTooltip British Approved Name, while méthoxamine is its DCFTooltip Dénomination Commune Française and methoxamina is its DCITTooltip Denominazione Comune Italiana. In the case of the hydrochloride salt, its generic name is methoxamine hydrochloride and this is its USANTooltip United States Adopted Name, BANMTooltip British Approved Name, and JANTooltip Japanese Accepted Name. A synonym of methoxamine is methoxamedrine. The drug has been sold under brand names including Idasal, Mexan, Pressomin, Vasosterol, Vasoxine, Vasoxyl, and Vasylox.

Availability

Methoxamine has been marketed in Canada, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States and was available in these countries in 2000. However, it was discontinued in Canada and the United Kingdom by 2004. It has also been discontinued in the United States. By 2016, methoxamine appeared to remain available only in Japan.