Bretylium
Bretylium (also bretylium tosylate) is an antiarrhythmic agent. It blocks the release of noradrenaline from nerve terminals. In effect, it decreases output from the peripheral sympathetic nervous system. It also acts by blocking K+ channels and is considered a class III antiarrhythmic. The dose is 5–10 mg/kg and side effects are high blood pressure followed by low blood pressure and ventricular ectopy.

Originally introduced in 1959 for the treatment of hypertension. Its use as an antiarrhythmic for ventricular fibrillation was discovered and patented by Marvin Bacaner in 1969 at the University of Minnesota.

The American Heart Association removed bretylium from their 2000 ECC/ACC guidelines due to its unproven efficacy and ongoing supply problems. Many have cited these supply problems as an issue of raw materials needed in the production of Bretylium. By the release of the AHA 2005 ECC/ACC guidelines there is no mention of Bretylium and it is virtually unavailable throughout most of the world.

On June 8, 2011 bretylium tosylate was announced as unavailable in the US after request of Hospira Inc. to withdraw its NDA from the market. Bretylium will remain on the FDA's discontinued drug list since its withdrawal was not the result of a safety or effectiveness concern. In mid 2019, it was reintroduced.
Q241549
antiarrhythmic
Concept
Q186242
noradrenaline
Concept
Q187215
sympathetic nervous system
Concept
Q41861
high blood pressure
Concept
Q275419
low blood pressure
Concept
Q5334288
ventricular ectopy
Concept
Q848662
ventricular fibrillation
Concept
Q238101
University of Minnesota
LOC
Q464880
American Heart Association
ORG
Q539566
tosylate
Concept
Q1470525
Hospira Inc.
ORG
Q1368197
NDA
MEDIA
Q204711
FDA
Concept
Q420026
Bretylium
MEDIA
Q420026
Bretylium
MEDIA
Q420026
Bretylium
MEDIA
Q420026
Bretylium
MEDIA
1959-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1959
DATE
1969-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1969
DATE
2000-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
2000
DATE
2005-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
2005
DATE
2011-06-08T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
June 8, 2011
DATE
2019-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
2019
DATE
+5^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
5
NUMBER
+10^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
10
NUMBER
medical condition treated
opposite of
opposite of