Clinical data | |
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Trade names | Anvifen, Fenibut, Noofen, others[1] |
Other names | Aminophenylbutyric acid; Fenibut; Fenigam; Phenigam; Phenybut; Phenygam; Phenylgamma; Phenigama; PHG; PhGABA; β-Phenyl-γ-aminobutyric acid; β-Phenyl-GABA[2] |
Routes of administration | Common: Oral[3] Uncommon: Rectal[3] |
Drug class | GABA receptor agonist; Gabapentinoid |
ATC code | |
Legal status | |
Legal status |
Illegal in Alabama (schedule II)[5]
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Pharmacokinetic data | |
Bioavailability | Well-absorbed[6] ≥63% (250 mg)[7] |
Metabolism | Liver (minimal)[6][7] |
Metabolites | Inactive[6] |
Onset of action | Oral: 2–4 hours[3] Rectal: 20–30 minutes[3] |
Elimination half-life | 5.3 hours (250 mg)[7] |
Duration of action | 15–24 hours (1–3 g)[3] |
Excretion | Urine: 63% (unchanged)[7] |
Identifiers | |
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CAS Number |
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PubChem CID | |
ChemSpider | |
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ChEMBL | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.012.800 |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C10H13NO2 |
Molar mass | 179.219 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
Melting point | 253 °C (487 °F) |
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Phenibut, sold under the brand names Anvifen, Fenibut, and Noofen among others,[1] is a central nervous system depressant with anxiolytic effects, and is used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and for a variety of other indications.[7] It is usually taken orally (swallowed by mouth) as a tablet, but may be given intravenously.[6][7]
Side effects of phenibut can include sedation, sleepiness, nausea, irritability, agitation, dizziness, euphoria and sometimes headache, among others.[6][8] Overdose of phenibut can produce marked central nervous system depression including unconsciousness.[6][8] The medication is structurally related to the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and hence is a GABA analogue.[7] Phenibut is thought to act as a GABAB receptor agonist, similarly to baclofen and γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB).[7] However, at low concentrations, phenibut mildly increases the concentration of dopamine in the brain, providing stimulatory effects in addition to the anxiolysis.[9]
Phenibut was developed in the Soviet Union and was introduced for medical use in the 1960s.[7] Today, it is marketed for medical use in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Latvia.[7] The medication is not approved for clinical use in the United States and most of Europe, but it is sold on the Internet as a supplement and purported nootropic.[3][10] Phenibut has been used recreationally and can produce euphoria as well as addiction, dependence, and withdrawal.[3] It is a controlled substance in Australia, and it has been suggested that its legal status should be reconsidered in Europe as well.[3] In Germany, phenibut is not approved as a drug and, as a food supplement, is controlled under the German New Psychoactive Substances Act.[11]
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