For the treatment of tardive dyskinesia
Approved for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in adults.
Trade name Austedo.
For the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease.
The approval as a TD treatment comes less than 5 months after valbenazine became the first drug approved as a treatment for the movement disorder.
It is a selective vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor.
Pregnancy category AU: B3
Routes of administration By mouth
Deutetrabenazine is a vesicular monoamine transporter 2 inhibitor which is used for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease and tardive dyskinesia.
Chemically, deutetrabenazine is an isotopic isomer of tetrabenazine in which six hydrogen atoms have been replaced by deuterium atoms.
The incorporation of deuterium slows the rate of drug metabolism, allowing less frequent dosing.
Deutetrabenazine provides a significant reduction in tardive dyskinesia, with favorable safety and tolerability.
Deutetrabenazine acts as a monoamine-depleting agent.
Adverse effects of deutetrabenazine include akathisia, agitation, restlessness, sedation, nasopharyngitis, and insomnia.