Deuterated Drug

Deuterated drugs are drugs obtained by replacing hydrogen atoms at specific sites on drug molecules with deuterium atoms. In theory, incorporating ‘heavy hydrogen’ into small molecules improves the half-life of a drug and its toxicity profile. In April 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the world’s first deuterated drug, the Deutetrabenazine for the treatment of Huntington’s-disease-related movement disorders. In 2022, the FDA approved another new deuterated drug, Deucravacitinib which is widely used to treat a variety of autoimmune diseases, including classic Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis[1][2]

The following aspects are considered in the development of deuterated drugs design[2]

 

Figure 1. Deuteration in Drug Design

 

References:

  • [1] Nat Biotechnol. 2017, Jun 7; 35(6):493-494.
  • [2] J.Med.Chem, 2019,62,5276-5297.