Nicotine
Cholinergic Nicotinic Agonist — NERVOUS SYSTEM
Also known as: (-)-Nicotine, (S)-Nicotine, L-Nicotine, nicotine bitartrate anhydrous, nicotine polacrilex
Data last refreshed: (DrugCentral release 2024-11-01)
Key facts
Nicotine is an ofp drug in the Cholinergic Nicotinic Agonist class catalogued in DrugCentral. It was first approved by the FDA in 1991. DrugCentral lists 42 molecular targets, including Chrna3|Chrna4|Chrna2|Chrnb2|Chrnb3|Chrnb4|Chrna5|Chrna1|Chrnb1|Chrna6|Chrna9|Chrna7|Chrna10, Chrna4|Chrnb2 and Chrna4. Recorded indications include Niacin deficiency, Nicotine dependence, Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms and Pellagra.
- Approval status: ofp (first approved 1991 by the FDA).
- Drug class: Cholinergic Nicotinic Agonist.
- Molecular targets: Chrna3|Chrna4|Chrna2|Chrnb2|Chrnb3|Chrnb4|Chrna5|Chrna1|Chrnb1|Chrna6|Chrna9|Chrna7|Chrna10, Chrna4|Chrnb2, Chrna4 and chrnd (42 listed in DrugCentral).
- Indications: Niacin deficiency, Nicotine dependence, Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms, Pellagra and Smoking cessation assistance.
- ATC code: N07BA01 (Drugs used in nicotine dependence).
- Molecular formula: C10H14N2; molecular weight 162.24 g/mol.
Indications & contraindications
Drug–disease relationships curated by DrugCentral (OMOP / SNOMED concepts).
Indications (5)
- Niacin deficiency
- Nicotine dependence
- Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms
- Pellagra
- Smoking cessation assistance
Off-label uses (1)
- Hyperlipidemia
Contraindications (30)
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Alcoholism
- Angina pectoris
- Arterial hemorrhage
- Blood coagulation disorder
- Diabetes mellitus
- Diabetes mellitus type 1
- Disease of liver
- Disorder of coronary artery
- Esophagitis
- Gout
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypertensive urgency
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypophosphatemia
- Life-Threatening Cardiac Arrhythmias
- Liver function tests abnormal
- Low blood pressure
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Myocardial infarction
- Myocardial infarction in recovery phase
- Peptic ulcer
- Pharyngitis
- Pheochromocytoma
- Pregnancy, function
- Prinzmetal angina
- Raynaud's phenomenon
- Temporomandibular joint disorder
- Thromboangiitis obliterans
- Thrombocytopenic disorder
Mechanism & targets
| Established pharmacologic class | Cholinergic Nicotinic Agonist |
|---|
Molecular targets (42)
| Target | Gene | Action | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor | Chrna3|Chrna4|Chrna2|Chrnb2|Chrnb3|Chrnb4|Chrna5|Chrna1|Chrnb1|Chrna6|Chrna9|Chrna7|Chrna10 | unknown | Kd 11.00 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor; alpha4/beta2 | Chrna4|Chrnb2 | unknown | Kd 9.40 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-4 | Chrna4 | unknown | Ki 9.03 |
| Acetylcholine receptor subunit delta | chrnd | unknown | Ki 9.00 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor; alpha3/beta2 | Chrna3|Chrnb2 | unknown | Ki 9.00 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-4 | CHRNA4 | unknown | Ki 8.72 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor; alpha4/beta2 | CHRNB2|CHRNA4 | agonist | Ki 8.56 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-9 | Chrna9 | unknown | Kd 8.30 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor; alpha4/beta4 | Chrna4|Chrnb4 | unknown | Ki 8.26 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor; alpha2/beta2 | CHRNB2|CHRNA2 | unknown | Ki 8.26 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor; alpha2/beta2 | Chrna2|Chrnb2 | unknown | Ki 8.26 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-4 | Chrna4 | unknown | IC50 8.15 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-2 | Chrna2 | unknown | Ki 7.92 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor; alpha3/beta2 | CHRNB2|CHRNA3 | unknown | Ki 7.85 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor; alpha4/beta4 | CHRNB4|CHRNA4 | unknown | Ki 7.64 |
| Soluble acetylcholine receptor | — | unknown | Ki 7.52 |
| Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily D member 3 | Kcnd3 | blocker | IC50 7.40 |
| Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily D member 3 | KCND3 | unknown | IC50 7.40 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-3 | CHRNA3 | unknown | IC50 7.35 |
| Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-3 | Chrna3 | unknown | Ki 7.33 |
Regulatory approvals (1)
| Date | Agency | Marketed as | Applicant | Orphan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-11-07 | FDA | — | SANOFI AVENTIS US |
ATC classification
| ATC code | Therapeutic hierarchy |
|---|---|
N07BA01 | NERVOUS SYSTEM › OTHER NERVOUS SYSTEM DRUGS › DRUGS USED IN ADDICTIVE DISORDERS › Drugs used in nicotine dependence |
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 |
|---|---|
| Macular degeneration | 1318.1 |
| Nicotine dependence | 1195.4 |
| Drug withdrawal syndrome neonatal | 688.5 |
| Drug dependence | 591.5 |
| Foetal exposure during pregnancy | 566.7 |
| Chronic sinusitis | 472.9 |
| Vaginal flatulence | 423.2 |
| Incorrect product administration duration | 414.7 |
| Paraesthesia oral | 389.8 |
| Overdose | 383.4 |
| Premature baby | 380.3 |
| Female genital tract fistula | 377.7 |
Chemical structure
| Molecular formula | C10H14N2 |
|---|---|
| Molecular weight | 162.24 g/mol |
| CAS number | — |
| InChIKey | SNICXCGAKADSCV-JTQLQIEISA-N |
| PubChem CID | 89594 |
Frequently asked questions
Answers are generated from the structured data on this page, not written by hand.
What is Nicotine used for?
DrugCentral lists the following indications for Nicotine: Niacin deficiency, Nicotine dependence, Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms, Pellagra and Smoking cessation assistance.
How does Nicotine work?
Its molecular targets in DrugCentral include Chrna3|Chrna4|Chrna2|Chrnb2|Chrnb3|Chrnb4|Chrna5|Chrna1|Chrnb1|Chrna6|Chrna9|Chrna7|Chrna10, Chrna4|Chrnb2, Chrna4 and chrnd.
When was Nicotine first approved?
Nicotine was first approved by the FDA in 1991.
What drug class does Nicotine belong to?
Nicotine is in the Cholinergic Nicotinic Agonist class.
What is the chemical formula of Nicotine?
Nicotine has the molecular formula C10H14N2 and a molecular weight of 162.24 g/mol.
Browse: all drugs starting with N · drug guides by category · protein targets A–Z.
Sources
- DrugCentral drug card 1920 — structure, indications, targets, approvals, pharmacologic classes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- ChEMBL CHEMBL1201536 — compound record and bioactivity
- PubChem CID 89594 — chemical identifiers
- DrugBank DB00184 — drug record
- FDA UNII 6M3C89ZY6R — substance identity
- DailyMed: FDA labels for Nicotine — current prescribing information (label search)
- UniProt Q9UK17 (KCND3) — target protein
- UniProt P32297 (CHRNA3) — target protein
- UniProt P36544 (CHRNA7) — target protein
- UniProt P11509 (CYP2A6) — target protein
- UniProt O75762 (TRPA1) — target protein
- UniProt P02708 (CHRNA1) — target protein
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (openFDA FAERS) — adverse-event signals, as aggregated by DrugCentral
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