Roflumilast: A Selective Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) Inhibitor.
Roflumilast is a selective phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor. The active metabolite, Roflumilast
N-oxide [
R0217], also acts as a selective PDE4 inhibitor. PDE4 is a key enzyme in the degradation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) [
A2381] and is centrally involved in the cytokine production of inflammatory cells. The inhibition of PDE4 activity leads to accumulation of intracellular cyclic AMP. Roflumilast is used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While the precise mechanism of the therapeutic action in COPD is not well defined, it is thought to be related to the effects of increased intracellular cyclic AMP in lung cells. For your reference, [
C3395] and [
D4505] are synthetic intermediates of roflumilast. (The product is for research purpose only.)