Propofol

Propofol
Clinical data
Trade names	Diprivan, others
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
License data	US DailyMed: Propofol;
Pregnancy; category	AU: C;
Dependence; liability	Physical: Very high ; Psychological: no data
Addiction; liability	Moderate
Routes of; administration	Intravenous
Drug class	GABAA receptor agonist;; sedative;; general anesthetic
ATC code	N01AX10 (WHO) ;
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only); BR: Class C1 (Other controlled substances); CA: ℞-only; UK: POM (Prescription only); US: ℞-only; In general: ℞ (Prescription only);
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	NA
Protein binding	95–99%
Metabolism	Liver glucuronidation
Onset of action	15–30 seconds
Elimination half-life	1.5–31 hours
Duration of action	~5–10 minutes
Excretion	Liver
Identifiers
	IUPAC name 2,6-Diisopropylphenol ; 2,6-bis(propan-2-yl)phenol;
CAS Number	2078-54-8 ;
PubChem CID	4943;
IUPHAR/BPS	5464;
DrugBank	DB00818 ;
ChemSpider	4774 ;
UNII	YI7VU623SF;
KEGG	D00549 ;
ChEBI	CHEBI:44915 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL526 ;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID6023523 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.016.551
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C12H18O
Molar mass	178.275 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
Solubility in water	ΔGsolvH2O = -4.39kcal/mol
	SMILES CC(C)c1cccc(c1O)C(C)C;
	InChI InChI=1S/C12H18O/c1-8(2)10-6-5-7-11(9(3)4)12(10)13/h5-9,13H,1-4H3 ; Key:OLBCVFGFOZPWHH-UHFFFAOYSA-N ;
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Propofol is the active component of an intravenous anesthetic formulation used for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. It is chemically termed 2,6-diisopropylphenol. The formulation was approved under the brand name Diprivan. Numerous generic versions have since been released. Intravenous administration is used to induce unconsciousness after which anesthesia may be maintained using a combination of medications. It is manufactured as part of a sterile injectable emulsion formulation using soybean oil and lecithin, giving it a white milky coloration.

Recovery from propofol-induced anesthesia is generally rapid and associated with less frequent side effects (e.g., drowsiness, nausea, vomiting) compared to other anesthetic agents. Propofol may be used prior to diagnostic procedures requiring anesthesia, in the management of refractory status epilepticus, and for induction or maintenance of anesthesia prior to and during surgeries. It may be administered as a bolus or an infusion, or some combination of the two.

First synthesized in 1973, by John B. Glen, a British veterinary anesthesiologist working for Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI, later AstraZeneca), in 1986 propofol was introduced for therapeutic use as a lipid emulsion in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Propofol (Diprivan) received FDA approval in October 1989. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.