Xanax (alprazolam) is a drug of the benzodiazepine class originally developed by Upjohn, a Michigan-based pharmaceutical company (now a subsidiary of Pfizer). In the United States, Xanax first received FDA approval for the treatment of panic disorder and hit the market as a prescription medication in 1981. It eventually received subsequent FDA approval for the …
ZzzQuil is an over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aid manufactured by Vicks (a subsidiary of Proctor & Gamble) that initially hit the market in 2012. When administered on an “as-needed” basis, ZzzQuil is thought to alleviate occasional bouts of insomnia and other sleep disturbances with minimal risk of abuse, addiction, and/or dependence – as compared to pharmaceutical …
Benadryl is a widely-recognized brand name for popular over-the-counter (OTC) antihistaminergic products containing diphenhydramine (U.S. & Canada), a chemical of the ethanolamine classification. Diphenhydramine was initially discovered in 1943 by professor and chemist George Rieveschl while attempting to synthesize alternatives to scopolamine. Just several years after its synthesis, diphenhydramine received FDA approval in 1946 as a …
Seroquel (Quetiapine) is an atypical antipsychotic engineered in the early 1990s by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. It was first approved by the FDA in 1997 for the treatment of schizophrenia, and was sequentially approved by the FDA in 2004 for the management of bipolar mania. Seroquel would also receive subsequent FDA approval in 2009 as …
Pindolol is a beta blocker initially synthesized by the pharmaceutical company Sandoz in the 1960s. As of 1977 it received FDA approval for the management of hypertension and was sold under the brand name “Visken.” Pharmacologically, pindolol acts as a non-selective beta blocker, meaning it competitively binds to all 3 beta-adrenergic receptor sites (Beta-1, Beta-2, …
Tyrosine is a nonessential amino acid that was discovered circa 1846. The word “tyrosine” is derived from the Greek word “tyros” which translates roughly to “cheese.” Tyrosine is most commonly cited as “L-tyrosine” or the levorotatory “L” enantiomer due to the fact that L-amino acids are manufactured in cells and used in protein synthesis; dextrorotatory …
Nuvigil and Provigil are both drugs that were approved by the FDA for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness. Both drugs act as eugeroics and are considered “wakefulness-promoting agents” in that they are distinct from more potent, habit-forming psychostimulants (e.g. Adderall). Provigil was initially approved in the late 1990s to help treat narcolepsy. Although the drug …