Acetazolamide

Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor — SENSORY ORGANS

Key facts

Acetazolamide is an ofp drug in the Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor class catalogued in DrugCentral. It was first approved by the FDA in 1953. Its mechanism of action is classified as Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors. DrugCentral lists 46 molecular targets, including CA12|CA1|CA2|CA3|CA4|CA6|CA5A|CA7|CA9|CA13|CA14|CA5B, CA5A|CA5B and CA7. Recorded indications include Absence seizure, Angle-closure glaucoma, Anoxia due to high altitude and Edema.

• Approval status: ofp (first approved 1953 by the FDA).
• Drug class: Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor.
• Mechanism of action: Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors.
• Molecular targets: CA12|CA1|CA2|CA3|CA4|CA6|CA5A|CA7|CA9|CA13|CA14|CA5B, CA5A|CA5B, CA7 and CA12 (46 listed in DrugCentral).
• Indications: Absence seizure, Angle-closure glaucoma, Anoxia due to high altitude, Edema and Malignant glaucoma and others.
• ATC code: S01EC01 (Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors).
• Molecular formula: C4H6N4O3S2; molecular weight 222.24 g/mol.

Indications & contraindications

Drug–disease relationships curated by DrugCentral (OMOP / SNOMED concepts).

Indications (9)

• Absence seizure
• Angle-closure glaucoma
• Anoxia due to high altitude
• Edema
• Malignant glaucoma
• Open-angle glaucoma
• Peripheral edema
• Peripheral Edema due to Chronic Heart Failure
• Secondary glaucoma

Off-label uses (13)

• Benign intracranial hypertension
• Epilepsy
• Familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis
• Familial periodic paralysis
• Hydrocephalus due to Intraventricular Hemorrhage
• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
• Metabolic alkalosis
• Mixed Epilepsy
• Myoclonic seizure
• Obstructive hydrocephalus
• Simple partial seizure
• Tonic-clonic epilepsy
• Urine Alkalinization

Contraindications (17)

• Acute nephropathy
• Decreased respiratory function
• Diabetes mellitus type 1
• Diabetes mellitus type 2
• Disease of blood AND/OR blood-forming organ
• Disease of liver
• Disorder of electrolytes
• Gout
• Hepatic failure
• Hyperkalemia
• Hyponatremia
• Kidney disease
• Metabolic acidosis, normal anion gap, acidifying salts
• Primary adrenocortical insufficiency
• Recurrent Calcium Renal Calculi
• Renal tubular acidosis
• Respiratory acidosis

Mechanism & targets

• Mechanism of action (MoA): Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors
• Established pharmacologic class: Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor

Molecular targets (46)

Target	Gene	Action	Activity
Carbonic anhydrase	CA12|CA1|CA2|CA3|CA4|CA6|CA5A|CA7|CA9|CA13|CA14|CA5B	unknown	Ki 9.10
Carbonic anhydrase V	CA5A|CA5B	unknown	Ki 8.74
Carbonic anhydrase 7	CA7	unknown	Ki 8.60
Carbonic anhydrase 12	CA12	inhibitor	Ki 8.60
Carbonic anhydrase 3	CA3	unknown	Ki 8.51
Carbonic anhydrase 2	CA2	inhibitor	Ki 8.48
Carbonic anhydrase, alpha family	—	unknown	Ki 8.37
Carbonate dehydratase	—	unknown	Ki 8.35
Carbonic anhydrase 13	CA13	unknown	Ki 8.24
Carbonic anhydrase-related protein 11	CA11	unknown	Ki 8.24
Carbonic anhydrase 9	CA9	unknown	Ki 8.05
Carbonic anhydrase 2	mtcA2	unknown	Ki 8.05
Carbonic anhydrase 2	CAN2	unknown	Ki 8.00
Carbonic anhydrase 4	CA4	inhibitor	Ki 7.96
Carbonic anhydrase	—	unknown	Ki 7.96
Carbonic anhydrase 6	CA6	unknown	Ki 7.96
Probable transmembrane carbonic anhydrase (Carbonate dehydratase) (Carbonic dehydratase); Transmembrane carbonic anhydrase	—	unknown	Ki 7.92
Carbonic anhydrase 1	CA1	inhibitor	Ki 7.92
Carbonic anhydrase	CA2|CA6|CA3|CA4	unknown	IC50 7.80
Alpha carbonic anhydrase	CA	unknown	Ki 7.80

Regulatory approvals (1)

Date	Agency	Marketed as	Applicant	Orphan
1953-07-27	FDA	—	TEVA BRANDED PHARM

ATC classification

ATC code	Therapeutic hierarchy
S01EC01	SENSORY ORGANS › OPHTHALMOLOGICALS › ANTIGLAUCOMA PREPARATIONS AND MIOTICS › Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors

Reported adverse-event signals

Strongest FDA FAERS disproportionality signals (log-likelihood ratio). A signal is a statistical association in spontaneous reports, not proof that the drug causes the event.

MedDRA term	LLR
Metabolic acidosis	369.4
Intraocular pressure increased	365.8
Choroidal effusion	292.4
Choroidal detachment	262.4
Angle closure glaucoma	258.8
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension	212.1
Off label use	199.2
Papilloedema	174.7
Drug ineffective for unapproved indication	153.5
Hair follicle tumour benign	147.2
Intracranial pressure increased	139.6
Glaucoma	132.4

Chemical structure

Full physicochemical, ADMET and 3D-structure analysis of Acetazolamide is on its molecule page.

• Molecular formula: C₄H₆N₄O₃S₂
• Molecular weight: 222.24 g/mol
• CAS number: 59-66-5
• InChIKey: BZKPWHYZMXOIDC-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• PubChem CID: 1986

CC(=O)NC1=NN=C(S1)S(N)(=O)=O

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the structured data on this page, not written by hand.

What is Acetazolamide used for?

DrugCentral lists the following indications for Acetazolamide: Absence seizure, Angle-closure glaucoma, Anoxia due to high altitude, Edema, Malignant glaucoma, Open-angle glaucoma, Peripheral edema and Peripheral Edema due to Chronic Heart Failure and others.

How does Acetazolamide work?

Acetazolamide is classified as Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors; its molecular targets in DrugCentral include CA12|CA1|CA2|CA3|CA4|CA6|CA5A|CA7|CA9|CA13|CA14|CA5B, CA5A|CA5B, CA7 and CA12 (inhibitor).

When was Acetazolamide first approved?

Acetazolamide was first approved by the FDA in 1953.

What drug class does Acetazolamide belong to?

Acetazolamide is in the Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor class.

What is the chemical formula of Acetazolamide?

Acetazolamide has the molecular formula C4H6N4O3S2 and a molecular weight of 222.24 g/mol.

Sources

• DrugCentral drug card 56 — structure, indications, targets, approvals, pharmacologic classes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• ChEMBL CHEMBL1200814 — compound record and bioactivity
• PubChem CID 1986 — chemical identifiers
• DrugBank DB00819 — drug record
• FDA UNII O3FX965V0I — substance identity
• DailyMed: FDA labels for Acetazolamide — current prescribing information (label search)
• UniProt P43166 (CA7) — target protein
• UniProt O43570 (CA12) — target protein
• UniProt P07451 (CA3) — target protein
• UniProt P00918 (CA2) — target protein
• UniProt Q8N1Q1 (CA13) — target protein
• UniProt O75493 (CA11) — target protein
• FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (openFDA FAERS) — adverse-event signals, as aggregated by DrugCentral

How this page is built: methodology · editorial policy & corrections.