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armodafinil

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armodafinil

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Also known as (–)-2-[(R)-(diphenylmethyl)sulfinyl]acetamide, R-modafinil, (-)-(R)-modafinil, (R)-modafinil, (R)-(-)-modafinil, (-)-modafinil

Armodafinil, sold under the brand name Nuvigil, is a wakefulness-promoting medication that is used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and shift work disorder. It is also used off-label for certain other indications. The drug is taken by mouth.

Chemical data

Formula
C15H15NO2S
Molecular weight
273.4 g/mol
IUPAC name
2-[(R)-benzhydrylsulfinyl]acetamide
SMILES
C1=CC=C(C=C1)C(C2=CC=CC=C2)[S@](=O)CC(=O)N
InChIKey
YFGHCGITMMYXAQ-LJQANCHMSA-N
XLogP
1.7
Polar surface area
79.4 Ų
H-bond donors
1
H-bond acceptors
3
Formal charge
0

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Research

2,403 papers

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Encyclopedic overview

28 sections
Contents
  • Medical uses
  • Psychiatry
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Jet lag
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
  • Available forms
  • Adverse effects
  • Misuse potential
  • Interactions
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacodynamics
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Absorption
  • Distribution
  • Metabolism
  • Elimination
  • Chemistry
  • Synthesis
  • Analogues
  • History
  • Society and culture
  • Brand names
  • Legal status
  • Romania
  • Research
  • References
  • External links

Armodafinil, sold under the brand name Nuvigil, is a wakefulness-promoting medication that is used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and shift work disorder. It is also used off-label for certain other indications. The drug is taken by mouth.

Side effects of armodafinil include headache, nausea, dizziness, and insomnia. Armodafinil acts as a selective atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor (DRI) and hence as an indirect dopamine receptor agonist. Nonetheless, other mechanisms might also be involved in its effects. Chemically, armodafinil is the enantiopure (R)-(–)-enantiomer of the racemic mixture modafinil (brand name Provigil). Both enantiomers of modafinil are active as DRIs and wakefulness-promoting agents, but armodafinil is more potent and has a much longer half-life and duration.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “armodafinil” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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