Phentermine
As of the edition of 20 October 2026, Phentermine is a small molecule: marketed, first approved in 1982 (US); acts on SLC6A2; no US protection of its own is listed.
Sources: FDA Orange Book and Purple Book, other approval registers, ClinicalTrials.gov, ChEMBL.
The drug
- Status
- Marketed; latest approval 1982
- Kind
- Small molecule
- Brand name
- Ionamin
- First approved
- 1 January 1982 (US)
- Approvals on record
- 11 in 1 region
- Holder of the most recent approval
- Vivus; 5 holders in all
- Withdrawn from market
- 1 January 1981 (in some regions)
- Registered trials
- 39, 4 stopped early
- Disease areas
- Nutrition and metabolism; Hormones; Mental health; Heart and blood vessels; Pregnancy and women's health; Urinary and reproductive
US protection
No US protection of its own is listed.
The FDA registers list no drug-substance patent or exclusivity of its own that counts for this drug.
Vivus holds a later exclusivity on its own new formulation or combination product, ending 2027; it does not protect the original drug.
This is the US only.
Target
| Gene | Protein | UniProt |
|---|---|---|
| SLC6A2 | Sodium-dependent noradrenaline transporter | P23975 |
Registered trials
| Phase | Trials | Completed | Active | Stopped early |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase not stated | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Phase 1 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Phase 2 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| Phase 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Phase 4 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| All trials | 39 |
Who has held its approvals
| Company | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| UCB | Acquired holder | 2006 to now |
| Citius Pharmaceuticals | Later holder | 2011 to now |
| Fisons | Earlier holder | |
| GSK | Later holder | |
| Sandoz Consumer Health Care | Later holder |