Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Acronym in pharmaceutical chemistry: LTG for lamotrigine


The acronym LTG denotes the anticonvulsant drug lamotrigine, a chemical compound with the IUPAC name 6-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazine-3,5-diamine. It is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Lamictal. The molecular formula is C9H7Cl2N5 [1]. The CAS registry number is 84057-84-1.

LTG was approved for marketing in the USA in 1994. Typically classified as an antiepileptic drug, it was in 2003 also approved by the FDA for treatment of patients with bipolar disorder. A very interesting case history is that of a woman with intractable temporal lobe seizures with a right temporal lobe focus. Her seizures were eventually brought under control by treatment with LTG and—surprisingly—her former indifference to music changed abruptly: listening to classical music became a pleasant and emotion-charged experience for her [2].

References
[1] Lamotrigine: The Merck Index, Eleventh Edition, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N. J., USA, 1989; entry 5228 on page 844 with further references.
[2] Oliver Sacks: MusicophiliaTales of Music and the Brain. First Vintage Books Edition, Random House, Inc., New York, September 2008; pp. 10-11.

No comments:

Post a Comment