Chlorhexidine

ALIMENTARY TRACT AND METABOLISM

Key facts

Chlorhexidine is an ofp drug catalogued in DrugCentral. It was first approved by the FDA in 1976. DrugCentral lists 11 molecular targets, including SLC22A1, SLC22A2 and SLC22A3. Recorded indications include Gingivitis and Mouth Infection Prevention.

• Approval status: ofp (first approved 1976 by the FDA).
• Molecular targets: SLC22A1, SLC22A2, SLC22A3 and SLC47A2 (11 listed in DrugCentral).
• Indications: Gingivitis and Mouth Infection Prevention.
• ATC code: A01AB03 (Antiinfectives and antiseptics for local oral treatment).
• Molecular formula: C22H30Cl2N10; molecular weight 505.45 g/mol.

Indications & contraindications

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

Indications (2)

• Gingivitis
• Mouth Infection Prevention

Off-label uses (3)

• Aphthous ulcer of mouth
• Dental Plaque Prevention
• Denture stomatitis

Contraindications (3)

• Front Tooth Fillings
• Open wound
• Periodontitis

Mechanism & targets

Molecular targets (11)

Target	Gene	Action	Activity
Solute carrier family 22 member 1	SLC22A1	unknown	IC50 6.68
Solute carrier family 22 member 2	SLC22A2	unknown	IC50 6.40
Solute carrier family 22 member 3	SLC22A3	unknown	IC50 6.39
Multidrug and toxin extrusion protein 2	SLC47A2	unknown	IC50 6.30
Multidrug and toxin extrusion protein 1	SLC47A1	unknown	IC50 6.15
Trypanothione reductase	TPR	unknown	Ki 5.70
CAAX prenyl protease 2	RCE1	unknown	AC50 5.24
72 kDa type IV collagenase	MMP2	unknown	IC50 5.12
Matrix metalloproteinase-9	MMP9	unknown	IC50 5.12
Dual specificity protein kinase CLK2	CLK2	unknown	IC50 5.04
Synaptojanin-2	SYNJ2	unknown	IC50 5.00

Regulatory approvals (1)

Date	Agency	Marketed as	Applicant	Orphan
1976-09-17	FDA	—	MOLNLYCKE HLTH

ATC classification

ATC code	Therapeutic hierarchy
A01AB03	ALIMENTARY TRACT AND METABOLISM › STOMATOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS › STOMATOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS › Antiinfectives and antiseptics for local oral treatment
A01AB53	ALIMENTARY TRACT AND METABOLISM › STOMATOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS › STOMATOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS › Antiinfectives and antiseptics for local oral treatment
B05CA02	BLOOD AND BLOOD FORMING ORGANS › BLOOD SUBSTITUTES AND PERFUSION SOLUTIONS › IRRIGATING SOLUTIONS › Antiinfectives
D08AC02	DERMATOLOGICALS › ANTISEPTICS AND DISINFECTANTS › ANTISEPTICS AND DISINFECTANTS › Biguanides and amidines
D08AC52	DERMATOLOGICALS › ANTISEPTICS AND DISINFECTANTS › ANTISEPTICS AND DISINFECTANTS › Biguanides and amidines
D09AA12	DERMATOLOGICALS › MEDICATED DRESSINGS › MEDICATED DRESSINGS › Medicated dressings with antiinfectives
R02AA05	RESPIRATORY SYSTEM › THROAT PREPARATIONS › THROAT PREPARATIONS › Antiseptics
S01AX09	SENSORY ORGANS › OPHTHALMOLOGICALS › ANTIINFECTIVES › Other antiinfectives
S02AA09	SENSORY ORGANS › OTOLOGICALS › ANTIINFECTIVES › Antiinfectives
S03AA04	SENSORY ORGANS › OPHTHALMOLOGICAL AND OTOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS › ANTIINFECTIVES › Antiinfectives

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
Folliculitis	3866.2
Muscle injury	3453.5
Irritable bowel syndrome	3406.5
Impaired healing	3270.7
Sleep disorder due to general medical condition, insomnia type	2879.4
Lower respiratory tract infection	2872.5
Blister	2640.3
Helicobacter infection	2561.6
Duodenal ulcer perforation	2506.7
Ill-defined disorder	2502.2
Stomatitis	2475.2
Gastrointestinal disorder	2060.3

Chemical structure

• Molecular formula: C₂₂H₃₀Cl₂N₁₀
• Molecular weight: 505.45 g/mol
• CAS number: 55-56-1
• InChIKey: GHXZTYHSJHQHIJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• PubChem CID: 9552079

ClC1=CC=C(NC(=N)NC(=N)NCCCCCCNC(=N)NC(=N)NC2=CC=C(Cl)C=C2)C=C1

Frequently asked questions

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

What is Chlorhexidine used for?

DrugCentral lists the following indications for Chlorhexidine: Gingivitis and Mouth Infection Prevention.

How does Chlorhexidine work?

Its molecular targets in DrugCentral include SLC22A1, SLC22A2, SLC22A3 and SLC47A2.

When was Chlorhexidine first approved?

Chlorhexidine was first approved by the FDA in 1976.

What is the chemical formula of Chlorhexidine?

Chlorhexidine has the molecular formula C22H30Cl2N10 and a molecular weight of 505.45 g/mol.

Sources

• DrugCentral drug card 597 — structure, indications, targets, approvals, pharmacologic classes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• ChEMBL CHEMBL1484251 — compound record and bioactivity
• PubChem CID 9552079 — chemical identifiers
• DrugBank DB00878 — drug record
• FDA UNII R4KO0DY52L — substance identity
• DailyMed: FDA labels for Chlorhexidine — current prescribing information (label search)
• UniProt O15245 (SLC22A1) — target protein
• UniProt O15244 (SLC22A2) — target protein
• UniProt O75751 (SLC22A3) — target protein
• UniProt Q86VL8 (SLC47A2) — target protein
• UniProt Q96FL8 (SLC47A1) — target protein
• UniProt P08253 (MMP2) — 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.