Chemical Properties
White or almost white, crystalline powder.
Brand name
Oxivent (Boehringer Ingelheim).
Description
Oxitropium bromide is an analog of the anticholinergics methscopolamine bromide
and ipratropium bromide, useful in the treatment of bronchial asthma. Cited
advantages include a long duration of action and lack of cardiovascular effects.
Originator
Boehringer Ingelheim (W. Germany)
Manufacturing Process
14.5 g (0.05 mol) of (-)-norscopolamine and 5.4 g (0.05 mol) of ethyl bromide were dissolved in 300 cc of acetonitrile, 5.3 g (0.05 mol) of anhydrous sodium carbonate were suspended in the solution, and the suspension was heated at the boiling point for 10 hours. After a boiling time of 2.5 and 5 hours, respectively, the supply of ethyl bromide and sodium carbonate in the reaction mixture was replenished by adding each time 5.4 g (0.05 mol) of ethyl bromide and 5.3 g (0.05 mol) of anhydrous sodium carbonate. At the end of 10 hours of boiling, the inorganic sodium salts which had separated out were separated by vacuum filtration, the filter cake was washed with acetonitrile, and the acetonitrile was distilled out of the filtrate. The distillation residue was dissolved in ether, the solution was extracted with a small amount of water and then dried, and the ether was distilled off, yielding raw (-)-N-ethylnorscopolamine.
7.0 g (0.022 mol) of (-)-N-ethylnorscopolamine were dissolved in acetonitrile, 10.4 g (0.11 mol) of methyl bromide were added to the solution, and the mixture was allowed to stand at room temperature. The crystalline precipitate formed thereby was collected and recrystallized from acetonitrile.8.9 g (97.8% of theory) of white crystalline (-)-N-ethylnorscopolamine methobromide, melting point 203°C to 204°C (decomposition), were obtained.
Therapeutic Function
Anticholinergic bronchodilator
Safety Profile
Poison by intravenous route. Moderately toxic by ingestion and subcutaneous routes. An anticholinergic bronchodilator. When heated to decomposition it emits very toxic fumes of NOx and Brí.