Ropivacaine (Molecule of the Month for July 2015)
Naropin
Ropivacaine is a local anaesthetic drug belonging to the amino amide group. The name ropivacaine refers to both the racemate and the marketed S-enantiomer. Ropivacaine was developed after bupivacaine which was noted to be associated with cardiac arrest in about 0.5% of cases, particularly in pregnant women. Ropivacaine was found to have less cardiotoxicity than bupivacaine in animal models.
Ropivacaine is used for local anaesthesia including infiltration, nerve block, epidural and intrathecal anaesthesia in adults and children over 12 years. It is also used for peripheral nerve block and caudal epidural in children 1–12 years for surgical pain. It is also sometimes used for infiltration anaesthesia for surgical pain in children.
Ropivacaine is often co-administered with fentanyl for epidural analgesia, for example in pregnant women during labour.
Formal Chemical Name (IUPAC)
(S)-N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-1-propylpiperidine-2-carboxamide
References
click on the picture of Ropivacaine above to interact
with the 3D model of the
Ropivacaine structure
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C17 H26 N2 O
Update by Karl Harrison
(Molecule of the Month for
July 2015
)
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