Flumedroxone acetate explained

Flumedroxone acetate, sold under the brand names Demigran and Leomigran, is a progestin medication which is or has been used as an antimigraine agent.^{[1] [2] [3]} It is taken by mouth.

Medical uses

Flumedroxone acetate has been assessed in over 1,000 patients for the treatment of migraine, with effectiveness ranging from excellent to less than that of the reference antimigraine drug methysergide. Other progestogens including medroxyprogesterone acetate, lynestrenol, allylestrenol, dydrogesterone, and normethandrone have also been found to be effective for migraine in a high percentage of women.

Side effects

In accordance with its progestogenic activity, flumedroxone acetate produces menstrual irregularities, namely polymenorrhea, and breast tension as side effects in women.^{[4] [5]}

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Flumedroxone acetate is said to have weak or slight progestogenic activity without other hormonal activity, including no estrogenic, antiestrogenic, androgenic, anabolic, or glucocorticoid activity.^{[6] [7]}

Chemistry

See also: List of progestogens, Progestogen ester and List of progestogen esters.

Flumedroxone acetate, also known as 6α-(trifluoromethyl)-17α-acetoxyprogesterone or as 6α-(trifluoromethyl)-17α-acetoxypregn-4-ene-3,20-dione, is a synthetic pregnane steroid and a derivative of progesterone and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone. It is specifically a derivative of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone with a trifluoromethyl group at the C6α position and an acetate ester attached to the C17α hydroxyl group. The medication is the C17α acetate ester of flumedroxone (6α-(trifluoromethyl)-17α-hydroxyprogesterone) and the C6α trifluoromethyl derivative of hydroxyprogesterone acetate (17α-acetoxyprogesterone).

History

Flumedroxone acetate was introduced for medical use in the 1960s.

Society and culture

Generic names

Flumedroxone is the and of the free alcohol form of the drug, flumedroxone. Flumedroxone acetate is also known by its developmental code name WG-537.

Brand names

Flumedroxone acetate is or has been marketed under the brand names Demigran and Leomigran.

Availability

Flumedroxone acetate is or has been marketed in Europe.

See also

• Fluorometholone acetate
• Mometasone furoate

Notes and References

1. Book: Elks J . The Dictionary of Drugs: Chemical Data: Chemical Data, Structures and Bibliographies. 14 November 2014. Springer. 978-1-4757-2085-3. 560–.
2. Book: Bégué JP, Bonnet-Delpon D . Drugs for Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders . Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry of Fluorine . https://books.google.com/books?id=QMVSvZ-R7I0C&pg=PA329. 2 June 2008. John Wiley & Sons. 978-0-470-28187-1. 329–.
3. Hudgson P, Foster JB, Newell DJ . Controlled trial of demigran in the prophylaxis of migraine . British Medical Journal . 2 . 5544 . 91–93 . April 1967 . 6020856 . 1841258 . 10.1136/bmj.2.5544.91 .
4. Bradley WG, Hudgson P, Foster JB, Newell DJ . Double-blind controlled trial of a micronized preparation of flumedroxone (Demigran) in prophylaxis of migraine . British Medical Journal . 3 . 5617 . 531–533 . August 1968 . 4877801 . 1986487 . 10.1136/bmj.3.5617.531 .
5. Lundberg PO . Prophylactic treatment of migraine with flumedroxone . Acta Neurologica Scandinavica . 45 . 3 . 309–326 . 1969 . 5817457 . 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1969.tb01243.x . 9835328 . free .
6. Book: Lundberg PO . Endocrinology of Headache: A Review . Pfaffenrath V, Lundberg PO, Sjaastad O . Updating in Headache. https://books.google.com/books?id=czSSBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA229. 6 December 2012. Springer Science & Business Media. 978-3-642-88581-5. 229–.
7. Book: Heyck H . Headache and facial pain: differential diagnosis, pathogenesis, treatment. 1981. Year Book Medical. 978-3-13-589501-7. Lundberg (1969) recommended the oral application of a steroid (flumedroxone) which has only a weak progesterone effect and does not display any other gonadotropic effects. . 97 .