Benzethonium

DERMATOLOGICALS

Also known as: benzethionium chloride, benzethonium chloride, benzetonium chloride

FDA approvedATC D08AJ08ATC D08AJ58ATC R02AA09

Data last refreshed: 2026-11-10 (DrugCentral release 2024-11-01)

Open interactive profile (3D, safety, PGx)

Key facts

Benzethonium is a drug catalogued in DrugCentral. DrugCentral lists 20 molecular targets, including CHRM4, HTR2A and Pgrmc1. Recorded indications include Itching of skin, Minor Skin Wound Pain, Prevent Minor Bacterial Skin Infection and Skin irritation.

Molecular targets: CHRM4, HTR2A, Pgrmc1 and CHRM3 (20 listed in DrugCentral).
Indications: Itching of skin, Minor Skin Wound Pain, Prevent Minor Bacterial Skin Infection and Skin irritation.
ATC code: D08AJ08 (Quaternary ammonium compounds).
Molecular formula: C27H42NO2; molecular weight 412.64 g/mol.

Indications & contraindications

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

Indications (4)

Itching of skin
Minor Skin Wound Pain
Prevent Minor Bacterial Skin Infection
Skin irritation

Contraindications (11)

Bacterial septicemia
Bleeding hemorrhoids
Conduction disorder of the heart
Decreased respiratory function
Denuded skin
Disease of liver
Disorder of mucous membrane
Heart block
Open wound
Seizure disorder
Shock

Mechanism & targets

Molecular targets (20)

Target	Gene	Action	Activity
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M4	CHRM4	unknown	Ki 7.44
5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A	HTR2A	unknown	Ki 7.43
Membrane-associated progesterone receptor component 1	Pgrmc1	unknown	Ki 7.16
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3	CHRM3	unknown	Ki 7.09
Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily H member 2	KCNH2	unknown	Ki 7.05
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M5	CHRM5	unknown	Ki 7.02
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1	CHRM1	unknown	Ki 7.00
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2	CHRM2	unknown	Ki 6.69
Alpha-2C adrenergic receptor	ADRA2C	unknown	Ki 6.54
Alpha-2B adrenergic receptor	ADRA2B	unknown	Ki 6.53
5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2C	HTR2C	unknown	Ki 6.27
Substance-K receptor	TACR2	unknown	Ki 6.19
Tyrosine-protein kinase Fyn	FYN	unknown	IC50 6.12
Sodium-dependent noradrenaline transporter	SLC6A2	unknown	Ki 6.05
Sodium-dependent dopamine transporter	SLC6A3	unknown	Ki 5.96
Alpha-2A adrenergic receptor	ADRA2A	unknown	Ki 5.93
Sodium-dependent serotonin transporter	SLC6A4	unknown	Ki 5.89
Receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2	ERBB2	unknown	IC50 5.68
Acetylcholinesterase	ACHE	unknown	IC50 5.65
KiSS-1 receptor	KISS1R	unknown	Ki 5.44

Regulatory approvals (1)

Date	Agency	Marketed as	Applicant	Orphan
—	FDA	—	—

ATC classification

ATC code	Therapeutic hierarchy
`D08AJ08`	DERMATOLOGICALS › ANTISEPTICS AND DISINFECTANTS › ANTISEPTICS AND DISINFECTANTS › Quaternary ammonium compounds
`D08AJ58`	DERMATOLOGICALS › ANTISEPTICS AND DISINFECTANTS › ANTISEPTICS AND DISINFECTANTS › Quaternary ammonium compounds
`R02AA09`	RESPIRATORY SYSTEM › THROAT PREPARATIONS › THROAT PREPARATIONS › Antiseptics

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
Therapeutic product effect decreased	38.3

Chemical structure

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

Molecular formula	C₂₇H₄₂NO₂
Molecular weight	412.64 g/mol
CAS number	121-54-0
InChIKey	SIYLLGKDQZGJHK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
PubChem CID	2335

CC(C)(C)CC(C)(C)C1=CC=C(OCCOCC[N+](C)(C)CC2=CC=CC=C2)C=C1

Frequently asked questions

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

What is Benzethonium used for?

DrugCentral lists the following indications for Benzethonium: Itching of skin, Minor Skin Wound Pain, Prevent Minor Bacterial Skin Infection and Skin irritation.

How does Benzethonium work?

Its molecular targets in DrugCentral include CHRM4, HTR2A, Pgrmc1 and CHRM3.

What is the chemical formula of Benzethonium?

Benzethonium has the molecular formula C27H42NO2 and a molecular weight of 412.64 g/mol.

Browse: all drugs starting with B · drug guides by category · protein targets A–Z.

Sources

DrugCentral drug card 3018 — structure, indications, targets, approvals, pharmacologic classes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
ChEMBL CHEMBL1182210 — compound record and bioactivity
PubChem CID 2335 — chemical identifiers
DrugBank DB11125 — drug record
FDA UNII 1VU15B70BP — substance identity
DailyMed: FDA labels for Benzethonium — current prescribing information (label search)
UniProt P08173 (CHRM4) — target protein
UniProt P28223 (HTR2A) — target protein
UniProt P20309 (CHRM3) — target protein
UniProt Q12809 (KCNH2) — target protein
UniProt P08912 (CHRM5) — target protein
UniProt P11229 (CHRM1) — 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.

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