Biguanides

Metformin, sold under the brand name Glucophage, among others, is the main first-line medication for the treatment of type2 diabetes, particularly in people who are overweight. It is also used in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, and is sometimes used as an off-label adjunct to lessen the risk of metabolic syndrome in people who take antipsychotic medication. It has been shown to inhibit inflammation, and is not associated with weight gain. Metformin is taken by mouth.

Chlorhexidine is a disinfectant and antiseptic which is used for skin disinfection before surgery and to disinfect surgical instruments. It is also used for cleaning wounds, preventing dental plaque, treating yeast infections of the mouth, and to keep urinary catheters from blocking. It is used as a liquid or a powder. It is commonly used in salt form, either the gluconate or the acetate.

Proguanil, also known as chlorguanide and chloroguanide, is a medication used to treat and prevent malaria. It is often used together with chloroquine or atovaquone. When used with chloroquine the combination will treat mild chloroquine resistant malaria. It is taken by mouth.

Biguanide () is the organic compound with the formula HN(C(NH)NH2)2. It is a colorless solid that dissolves in water to give a highly basic solution. These solutions slowly hydrolyse to ammonia and urea.

Phenformin is an antidiabetic drug from the biguanide class. It was marketed as DBI by Ciba-Geigy, but was withdrawn from most markets in the late 1970s due to a high risk of lactic acidosis, which was fatal in 50% of cases.

Moroxydine is an antiviral drug that was originally developed in the 1950s as an influenza treatment. It has potential applications against a number of RNA and DNA viruses. Structurally moroxydine is a heterocyclic biguanidine.

Buformin (1-butylbiguanide) is an oral antidiabetic drug of the biguanide class, chemically related to metformin and phenformin. Buformin was marketed by German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal as Silubin.

Chlorproguanil is an antimalarial drug. In the late 90s and early 2000s, it was studied under collaboration with the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank Special Program for Research and Training on Tropical Diseases and GlaxoSmithKline. It was a potential alternative to the preexisting combination therapy of chloroquine and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, as malaria was showing drug resistance to this approach. It has been trialled in combination therapy with artesunate to treat haemolysis after malaria treatment, however its development was prematurely stopped because of safety concerns secondary to its associ

Polyhexanide (polyhexamethylene biguanide, PHMB) is a polymer used as a disinfectant and antiseptic. In dermatological use, it is spelled polihexanide (INN) and sold under various brand names. PHMB has been shown to be effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Aspergillus brasiliensis, enterococci, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Polihexanide, sold under the brand name Akantior is a medication used for the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis.

Picloxydine (trade name Vitabact) is a bisbiguanide antiseptic used in eye drops. It is structurally similar to chlorhexidine.

chemical compound