In addition to being a sedative, valnoctamide has been investigated for use in epilepsy.[4][5][6]
It was studied for neuropathic pain in 2005 by Winkler et al., with good results: it had minimal effects on motor coordination and alertness at effective doses, and appeared to be equally effective as gabapentin.[7]
RH Belmaker, Yuly Bersudsky and Alex Mishory started a clinical trial of valnoctamide for prophylaxis of mania in lieu of the much more teratogenic valproic acid or its salts.[8]
Side effects
The side effects of valnoctamide are mostly minor and include somnolence and the slight motor impairments mentioned above.
Valnoctamide is a racemic compound with four stereoisomers,[10] all of which were shown to be more effective than valproic acid in animal models of epilepsy and one of which [(2S,3S]-valnoctamide) was considered to be a good candidate by Isoherranen, et al. for an anticonvulsant in August 2003.[11]
^"valnoctamide - Compound Summary". PubChem Compound. USA: National Center for Biotechnology Information. 26 March 2005. Identification and Related Records. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
^Harl, F. M. (March 1964). "[Clinical Study Of Valnoctamide On 70 Neuropsychiatric Clinic Patients Undergoing Ambulatory Treatment]". La Presse Médicale (in French). 72: 753–754. PMID14119722.
^Haj-Yehia, Abdullah; Meir Bialer (August 1989). "Structure-pharmacokinetic relationships in a series of valpromide derivatives with antiepileptic activity". Pharmaceutical Research. 6 (8): 683–689. doi:10.1023/A:1015934321764. PMID2510141. S2CID21531402.
^Mattos Nda, S. (May 1969). "[Use of Valnoctamide (nirvanil) in oligophrenic erethics and epileptics]". Hospital (Rio J) (in Portuguese). 75 (5): 1701–1704. PMID5306499.
^Lindekens, H.; Ilse Smolders; Ghous M. Khan; Meir Bialer; Guy Ebinger; Yvette Michotte (November 2000). "In vivo study of the effect of valpromide and valnoctamide in the pilocarpine rat model of focal epilepsy". Pharmaceutical Research. 17 (11): 1408–1413. doi:10.1023/A:1007559208599. PMID11205735. S2CID24229165.
^RH Belmaker; Yuly Bersudsky; Alex Mishory; Beersheva Mental Health Center (2005). "Valnoctamide in Mania". ClinicalTrials.gov. United States National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 25 February 2006.
^Isoherranen, Nina; H. Steve White; Brian D. Klein; Michael Roeder; José H. Woodhead; Volker Schurig; Boris Yagen; Meir Bialer (August 2003). "Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships of (2S,3S)-valnoctamide and its stereoisomer (2R,3S)-valnoctamide in rodent models of epilepsy". Pharmaceutical Research. 20 (8): 1293–1301. doi:10.1023/A:1025069519218. PMID12948028. S2CID20755032.
^Freifelder, Morris; Geiszler, Adolph O.; Stone, George R. (1961). "Hydrolysis of 5,5-Disubstituted Barbituric Acids". The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 26 (1): 203–206. doi:10.1021/jo01060a048. ISSN0022-3263.