Racecadotril

(RS)-benzyl N-[3-(acetylthio)-2-benzylpropanoyl]glycinate

RS

Trade names

Hidrasec, Tiorfan

AHFS/Drugs.co
m
Formula

International Drug Names

C21H23NO4S

Racecadotril, also known as acetorphan, is an antidiarrheal drug

which acts as a peripherally acting enkephalinase inhibitor. Unlike
other opioid medications used to treat diarrhea, which reduce
intestinal motility, racecadotril has anantisecretory effectit
reduces the secretion of water and electrolytes into the
intestine. It is available in France(where it was first introduced in
~1990) and other European countries (including Germany, Italy,
the UK and Spain) as well as most of South America and
some South
East
Asian countries
(including China, India and Thailand), but not in the United States.
It is sold under the tradenames Hidrasec or, in France, Tiorfan. In
Italy it is sold under the tradename Tiorfix. Thiorphan is the active
metabolite of racecadotril, which exerts the bulk of its inhibitory
actions
on
enkephalinase.
ThiorphanThiorphan is
the
active metabolite of the antidiarrheal racecadotril (acetorphan). It
prevents the degradation ofendogenous enkephalins by acting as
an enkephalinase inhibitor.
Enkephalinase inhibitor
An enkephalinase inhibitor is a type of enzyme inhibitor which
inhibits one or more members of the enkephalinase class
of enzymes that break down the endogenous enkephalin opioid
peptides.
Examples
include racecadotril, ubenimex (bestatin), RB-101,
and D-phenylalanine, as well as the endogenous opioid
peptides opiorphin and spinorphin. Analgesic, anticraving, antidep

ressant, anxiolytic,
and antidiarrheal effects
properties of enkephalinase inhibitors.

are

common