Tacrine

Cholinesterase Inhibitor — NERVOUS SYSTEM

Key facts

Tacrine is an ofm drug in the Cholinesterase Inhibitor class catalogued in DrugCentral. It was first approved by the FDA in 1993. Its mechanism of action is classified as Cholinesterase Inhibitors. DrugCentral lists 32 molecular targets, including Chat, BCHE and BCHE. Recorded indications include Alzheimer's disease.

• Approval status: ofm (first approved 1993 by the FDA).
• Drug class: Cholinesterase Inhibitor.
• Mechanism of action: Cholinesterase Inhibitors.
• Molecular targets: Chat, BCHE, BCHE and Bche (32 listed in DrugCentral).
• Indications: Alzheimer's disease.
• ATC code: N06DA01 (Anticholinesterases).
• Molecular formula: C13H14N2; molecular weight 198.27 g/mol.

Indications & contraindications

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

Indications (1)

• Alzheimer's disease

Contraindications (14)

• Asthma
• Bladder outflow obstruction
• Bradycardia
• Diarrhea
• Disease of liver
• Gastrointestinal obstruction
• Hyperbilirubinemia
• Jaundice
• Liver function tests abnormal
• Low blood pressure
• Parkinsonism
• Peptic ulcer
• Seizure disorder
• Sick sinus syndrome

Mechanism & targets

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

Molecular targets (32)

Target	Gene	Action	Activity
Choline O-acetyltransferase	Chat	unknown	Ki 9.82
Cholinesterase	BCHE	unknown	IC50 8.61
Butyrylcholinesterase	BCHE	unknown	Ki 8.15
Butyrylcholinesterase; Protein Bche	Bche	unknown	IC50 8.05
Acetylcholinesterase	ache	unknown	Ki 8.00
Amyloid beta A4 protein	APP	unknown	IC50 7.91
Acetylcholinesterase	Ache	unknown	Kd 7.74
Amine oxidase [flavin-containing] A	Maoa	unknown	IC50 7.40
Acetylcholinesterase	ACHE	unknown	Ki 7.40
Acetylcholinesterase	ache	unknown	Ki 7.40
Acetylcholine receptor subunit epsilon	CHRNE	unknown	IC50 7.36
Acetylcholinesterase	Ache	unknown	IC50 7.34
Amine oxidase [flavin-containing] A	MAOA	unknown	IC50 7.33
Cholinesterase	BCHE	inhibitor	IC50 7.30
Cholinesterase	Bche	unknown	IC50 7.20
Acetylcholinesterase	ACHE	inhibitor	Ki 7.14
Histamine N-methyltransferase	Hnmt	unknown	IC50 6.96
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2	Chrm2	unknown	Ki 6.66
Cytochrome P450 2D6	CYP2D6	unknown	IC50 6.52
Sodium-dependent noradrenaline transporter	SLC6A2	unknown	Ki 6.29

Regulatory approvals (1)

Date	Agency	Marketed as	Applicant	Orphan
1993-09-09	FDA	—	—

ATC classification

ATC code	Therapeutic hierarchy
N06DA01	NERVOUS SYSTEM › PSYCHOANALEPTICS › ANTI-DEMENTIA DRUGS › Anticholinesterases

Chemical structure

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

• Molecular formula: C₁₃H₁₄N₂
• Molecular weight: 198.27 g/mol
• CAS number: 321-64-2
• InChIKey: YLJREFDVOIBQDA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• PubChem CID: 1935

NC1=C2CCCCC2=NC2=CC=CC=C12

Frequently asked questions

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

What is Tacrine used for?

DrugCentral lists the following indications for Tacrine: Alzheimer's disease.

How does Tacrine work?

Tacrine is classified as Cholinesterase Inhibitors; its molecular targets in DrugCentral include Chat, BCHE, BCHE and Bche.

When was Tacrine first approved?

Tacrine was first approved by the FDA in 1993.

What drug class does Tacrine belong to?

Tacrine is in the Cholinesterase Inhibitor class.

What is the chemical formula of Tacrine?

Tacrine has the molecular formula C13H14N2 and a molecular weight of 198.27 g/mol.

Sources

• DrugCentral drug card 2551 — structure, indications, targets, approvals, pharmacologic classes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• ChEMBL CHEMBL1677 — compound record and bioactivity
• PubChem CID 1935 — chemical identifiers
• DrugBank DB00382 — drug record
• FDA UNII 4VX7YNB537 — substance identity
• DailyMed: FDA labels for Tacrine — current prescribing information (label search)
• UniProt P05067 (APP) — target protein
• UniProt Q04844 (CHRNE) — target protein
• UniProt P06276 (BCHE) — target protein
• UniProt P22303 (ACHE) — target protein
• UniProt P10635 (CYP2D6) — target protein
• UniProt P23975 (SLC6A2) — target protein

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