Amfepramone, also known as diethylpropion, is a stimulant drug of the phenethylamine, amphetamine, and cathinone classes that is used as an appetite suppressant. It is used in the short-term management of obesity, along with dietary and lifestyle changes. Amfepramone has a similar chemical structure to the antidepressant and smoking cessation aid bupropion (previously called amfebutamone), which has also been developed as a weight-loss medicine when in a combination product with naltrexone.

Pharmacology

Amfepramone itself lacks any affinity for the monoamine transporters and instead functions as a prodrug to ethcathinone. Ethcathinone (and therefore amfepramone as well) is a very weak dopaminergic and serotonergic, and is approximately 10× and 20× stronger on norepinephrine in comparison, respectively.

Chemistry

Amfepramone can be synthesized from propiophenone by bromination, followed by reaction with diethylamine.

Society and culture

Names

Another medically utilized name is diethylpropion (British Approved Name (BAN) and Australian Approved Name (AAN)). Chemical names include: α-methyl-β-keto-N,N-diethylphenethylamine, N,N-diethyl-β-ketoamphetamine and N,N-diethylcathinone. Brand names include: Anorex, Linea, Nobesine, Prefamone, Regenon, Tepanil and Tenuate.

Legal status

Amfepramone is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance in the United States. In the UK amfepramone is a class C drug and as a medicine, it is a Schedule 3 Controlled Drug which requires safe custody.

As of June 2022, the safety committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommends the withdrawal of marketing authorizations for amfepramone.

Recreational use

The authors of several studies of amfepramone claim that the substance has a relatively low potential for causing addiction in users.