Oxprenolol (Trasacor, Trasicor, Coretal, Laracor, Slow-Pren, Captol, Corbeton, Slow-Trasicor, Tevacor, Trasitensin, Trasidex) is a non-selective beta blocker with some intrinsic sympathomimetic activity. It is used for the treatment of angina pectoris, abnormal heart rhythms and high blood pressure.
Oxprenolol is a lipophilic beta blocker which passes the bloodâ€"brain barrier more easily than water soluble beta blockers. As such, it is associated with a higher incidence of CNS-related side effects than hydrophilic ligands such as atenolol, sotalol and nadolol.
Oxprenolol is a potent beta blocker and should not be administered to asthmatics under any circumstances due to their low beta levels as a result of depletion due to other asthma medication, and because it can cause irreversible, often fatal, airway failure and inflammation.
Stereochemistryn>
Oxprenolol is a chiral compound, the beta blocker is used as a racemate, e. g. a 1:1 mixture of (R)-(+)-oxprenolol and (S)-(â€")-oxprenolol. Analytical methods (HPLC) for the separation and quantification of (R)-(+)-oxprenolol and (S)-(â€")-oxprenolol in urine and in pharmaceutical formulations have been described in the literature.