Droxidopa

Droxidopa
Clinical data
Trade names	Northera, Dops
Other names	3,4-Dihydroxyphenylserine; 3,4-threo-DOPS; L-threo-Dihydroxyphenylserine; L-DOPS; L-threo-DOPS; Threo-DOPS; β,3-Dihydroxytyrosine; (–)-threo-3-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-L-serine; SM-5688
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
MedlinePlus	a614025
License data	US DailyMed: Droxidopa;
Routes of; administration	By mouth
ATC code	C01CA27 (WHO) ;
Legal status
Legal status	US: ℞-only; In general: ℞ (Prescription only);
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	90%
Metabolism	Liver
Metabolites	Norepinephrine
Elimination half-life	1.5 hours
Excretion	Kidney
Identifiers
	IUPAC name (2S,3R)-2-Amino-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropanoic acid;
CAS Number	23651-95-8 ;
PubChem CID	92974;
DrugBank	DB06262;
ChemSpider	83927;
UNII	J7A92W69L7;
KEGG	D01277;
ChEBI	CHEBI:31524;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL2103827;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID6046422 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.215.254
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C9H11NO5
Molar mass	213.189 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
	SMILES N[C@H](C(=O)O)[C@H](O)c1ccc(O)c(O)c1;
	InChI InChI=1S/C9H11NO5/c10-7(9(14)15)8(13)4-1-2-5(11)6(12)3-4/h1-3,7-8,11-13H,10H2,(H,14,15)/t7-,8+/m0/s1; Key:QXWYKJLNLSIPIN-JGVFFNPUSA-Na;
	(verify)

Droxidopa, also known as L-threo-dihydroxyphenylserine (L-DOPS) and sold under the brand names Northera and Dops among others, is sympathomimetic medication which is used in the treatment of hypotension (low blood pressure) and for other indications. It is taken by mouth.

Side effects of droxidopa include headache, dizziness, nausea, and hypertension, among others. Droxidopa is a synthetic amino acid precursor which acts as a prodrug to the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (noradrenaline). Hence, it acts as a non-selective agonist of the α- and β-adrenergic receptors. Unlike norepinephrine, but similarly to levodopa (L-DOPA), droxidopa is capable of crossing the protective blood–brain barrier (BBB).

Droxidopa was first described by 1971. It was approved for use in Japan in 1989 and was introduced in the United States in 2014.