What is "viminol"

n. (context pharmaceutical drug English) A particular narcotic painkiller and antitussive.

Viminol (marketed under the brandname Dividol) is an opioid analgesic developed by a team at the drugs company Zambon in the 1960s. Viminol is based on the α-Pyrryl-2-Amino-Ethanol structure, unlike any other class of opioids.

Viminol has both antitussive (cough suppressing) and analgesic (pain reducing) effects. It has six different stereoisomers which have varying properties. 4 are inactive, the 1S-(R,R)-disecbutyl isomer being a μ-opioid full agonist around 5.5 times more potent than morphine while the 1S-(S,S)-disecbutyl isomer is an antagonist. Since vimonol is supplied as a racemic mixture of isomers, the overall effect produces a mixed agonist–antagonist profile similar to that of opioids such as pentazocine, although with somewhat fewer side effects.

Later work showed that replacing the -Cl moiety with an -F or a -CF3 produced a compound with twice the potency and half the acute toxicity. A later team at Zambon modified the pyrrolidine with a pyrrolidone could produce an analogue some 318x morphine in its analgesic activity in animal studies (the latter overlays beta hydroxy fentanyl). A number of related compounds were found to be active allowing a QSAR to be constructed.

Viminol has similar effects to other opioids, and produces analgesia, sedation and euphoria.