• C Klawe and M Maschke.
• Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Nordallee 1, 54292 Trier, Germany.
• Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2009 Jun 1; 10 (9): 1495-500.

BackgroundFlupirtine is a nonopioid drug without antipyretic or antiphlogistic properties and with a favorable tolerability. It constitutes a unique class within the group of nonsteroidal analgesics and displays a peculiar pharmacodynamic profile that invites the investigation of applications beyond the pain-relieving effect.ObjectiveThis review describes and evaluates the pharmacologic and clinical literature regarding flupirtine and discusses its future potential.MethodsA search of the primary literature and conference abstracts was conducted using the keyword 'flupirtine'. Resulting articles were compiled and analyzed for this review.Results/ConclusionsAlthough flupirtine has gained a firm place in the treatment of acute and chronic pain in various clinical settings since its introduction, a broader range of applications remains to be explored in clinical trials. Possible neuroprotective effects due to N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonistic properties of flupirtine might be promising in the treatment of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Trials in these fields are forthcoming.

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