Caffeine citrate

Caffeine citrate
Clinical data
Trade names	Cafcit, Gencebok, Cafnea, others
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
License data	US DailyMed: Caffeine_citrate;
Routes of; administration	By mouth, intravenous (IV)
ATC code	N06BC01 (WHO) ;
Legal status
Legal status	AU: Unscheduled; CA: ℞-only; US: ℞-only; EU: Rx-only;
Identifiers
	IUPAC name 1,3,7-trimethylpurine-2,6-dione; 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid;
CAS Number	69-22-7 ;
PubChem CID	6241;
ChemSpider	6005 ;
UNII	U26EO4675Q;
KEGG	D07603;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL1200569;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID5046938 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.125.472
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C14H18N4O9
Molar mass	386.317 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
	SMILES CN1C=NC2=C1C(=O)N(C(=O)N2C)C.C(C(=O)O)C(CC(=O)O)(C(=O)O)O;
	InChI InChI=1S/C8H10N4O2.C6H8O7/c1-10-4-9-6-5(10)7(13)12(3)8(14)11(6)2;7-3(8)1-6(13,5(11)12)2-4(9)10/h4H,1-3H3;13H,1-2H2,(H,7,8)(H,9,10)(H,11,12) ; Key:RCQXSQPPHJPGOF-UHFFFAOYSA-N ;
	(verify)

Caffeine citrate, sold under the brand name Cafcit among others, is a medication used to treat a lack of breathing in premature babies. Specifically it is given to babies who are born at less than 35 weeks or weigh less than 2 kilograms (4.4 lb) once other causes are ruled out. It is given by mouth or slow injection into a vein.

Side effects can include problems feeding, increased heart rate, low blood sugar, necrotizing enterocolitis, and kidney problems. Testing blood caffeine levels is occasionally recommended. Although it is often referred to as a citric acid salt of caffeine, as implied by its name, caffeine citrate in fact consists of cocrystals of the two components. Caffeine citrate is in the xanthine family of medication. It works by stimulating the respiratory centers in the brain.

Although caffeine was isolated in 1819, it was not until 1977 that caffeine citrate was first used for treating apnea of prematurity. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. The intravenous form may also be taken by mouth.

In June 2020, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended the approval of Gencebok. It was approved for use in the European Union in August 2020.