Ketamine
General Anesthetic — NERVOUS SYSTEM
Also known as: (+/-)-Ketamine, ketamine HCl, ketamine hydrochloride, narketan
Data last refreshed: (DrugCentral release 2024-11-01)
Key facts
Ketamine is an ofp drug in the General Anesthetic class catalogued in DrugCentral. It was first approved by the FDA in 1970. DrugCentral lists 4 molecular targets, including GRIN2D|GRIN3B|GRIN1|GRIN2A|GRIN2B|GRIN2C|GRIN3A, Grin1|Grin2a|Grin2b|Grin2c|Grin2d|Grin3b|Grin3a and CHRNA1. Recorded indications include General anesthesia and Local anesthesia.
- Approval status: ofp (first approved 1970 by the FDA).
- Drug class: General Anesthetic.
- Molecular targets: GRIN2D|GRIN3B|GRIN1|GRIN2A|GRIN2B|GRIN2C|GRIN3A, Grin1|Grin2a|Grin2b|Grin2c|Grin2d|Grin3b|Grin3a, CHRNA1 and GRIA1|GRIA2|GRIA3|GRIA4 (4 listed in DrugCentral).
- Indications: General anesthesia and Local anesthesia.
- ATC code: N01AX03 (Other general anesthetics).
- Molecular formula: C13H16ClNO; molecular weight 237.73 g/mol.
Indications & contraindications
Drug–disease relationships curated by DrugCentral (OMOP / SNOMED concepts).
Indications (2)
- General anesthesia
- Local anesthesia
Off-label uses (3)
- Inflammatory disease of mucous membrane
- Major depressive disorder
- Pain
Contraindications (18)
- Acute disease of cardiovascular system
- Alcohol intoxication
- Alcoholism
- Cardiac Decompensation
- Cerebral trauma
- Cerebrovascular accident
- Decompensated cardiac failure
- Decreased respiratory function
- Delirium
- Hypertensive disorder
- Hypertensive urgency
- Impaired cognition
- Myocardial infarction
- Myocardial ischemia
- Ocular hypertension
- Psychiatric Disturbance
- Raised intracranial pressure
- Thyrotoxicosis
Mechanism & targets
| Established pharmacologic class | General Anesthetic |
|---|
Molecular targets (4)
| Target | Gene | Action | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glutamate [NMDA] receptor | GRIN2D|GRIN3B|GRIN1|GRIN2A|GRIN2B|GRIN2C|GRIN3A | blocker | Ki 6.38 |
| Glutamate NMDA receptor | Grin1|Grin2a|Grin2b|Grin2c|Grin2d|Grin3b|Grin3a | unknown | IC50 6.21 |
| Acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha | CHRNA1 | unknown | IC50 5.31 |
| Glutamate receptor ionotropic AMPA | GRIA1|GRIA2|GRIA3|GRIA4 | opener | — |
Regulatory approvals (1)
| Date | Agency | Marketed as | Applicant | Orphan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-02-19 | FDA | — | PAR STERILE PRODUCTS |
ATC classification
| ATC code | Therapeutic hierarchy |
|---|---|
N01AX03 | NERVOUS SYSTEM › ANESTHETICS › ANESTHETICS, GENERAL › Other general anesthetics |
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 |
|---|---|
| Anaphylactic shock | 1901.3 |
| Drug abuse | 1365.8 |
| Drug ineffective | 718.0 |
| Sedation | 602.7 |
| Nightmare | 480.7 |
| Drug ineffective for unapproved indication | 477.8 |
| Inspiratory capacity decreased | 475.1 |
| Hypotension | 363.9 |
| Substance use disorder | 331.4 |
| Drug use disorder | 331.2 |
| Anaphylactic reaction | 327.6 |
| Off label use | 322.9 |
Chemical structure
Full physicochemical, ADMET and 3D-structure analysis of Ketamine is on its molecule page.
| Molecular formula | C13H16ClNO |
|---|---|
| Molecular weight | 237.73 g/mol |
| CAS number | 6740-88-1 |
| InChIKey | YQEZLKZALYSWHR-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| PubChem CID | 3821 |
Frequently asked questions
Answers are generated from the structured data on this page, not written by hand.
What is Ketamine used for?
DrugCentral lists the following indications for Ketamine: General anesthesia and Local anesthesia.
How does Ketamine work?
Its molecular targets in DrugCentral include GRIN2D|GRIN3B|GRIN1|GRIN2A|GRIN2B|GRIN2C|GRIN3A (blocker), Grin1|Grin2a|Grin2b|Grin2c|Grin2d|Grin3b|Grin3a, CHRNA1 and GRIA1|GRIA2|GRIA3|GRIA4 (opener).
When was Ketamine first approved?
Ketamine was first approved by the FDA in 1970.
What drug class does Ketamine belong to?
Ketamine is in the General Anesthetic class.
What is the chemical formula of Ketamine?
Ketamine has the molecular formula C13H16ClNO and a molecular weight of 237.73 g/mol.
Browse: all drugs starting with K · drug guides by category · protein targets A–Z.
Sources
- DrugCentral drug card 1523 — structure, indications, targets, approvals, pharmacologic classes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- ChEMBL CHEMBL1714 — compound record and bioactivity
- PubChem CID 3821 — chemical identifiers
- DrugBank DB01221 — drug record
- FDA UNII 690G0D6V8H — substance identity
- DailyMed: FDA labels for Ketamine — current prescribing information (label search)
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (openFDA FAERS) — adverse-event signals, as aggregated by DrugCentral
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