Atenolol is a Beta-1 cardio-selective adreno-receptor blocking agent discovered and developed by ICI in 1976. Atenolol was launched in the market under the trade name Tenormin in 1976, and became the best-selling Beta-blocker in the world in the 1980s and 1990s. TENORMIN is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure; also for the long-term management of patients with angina pectoris and also is indicated in the management of hemodynamically stable patients with definite or suspected acute myocardial infarction to reduce cardiovascular mortality. Like metoprolol, atenolol competes with sympathomimetic neurotransmitters such as catecholamines for binding at beta(1)-adrenergic receptors in the heart and vascular smooth muscle, inhibiting sympathetic stimulation. This results in a reduction in resting heart rate, cardiac output, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and reflex orthostatic hypotension. Higher doses of atenolol also competitively block beta(2)-adrenergic responses in the bronchial and vascular smooth muscles. Hypotensive mechanism of atenolol is very complex. Decrease in CO and inhibition of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may mainly be responsible for hypotension. It is likely that potassium retaining action of atenolol partly contributes to its hypotensive action. It is also hypothetized that renal kallikrein-kinin system may play a role in modulating the hypotensive action of atenolol.

The novel compounds clamikalant (HMR 1883) or its sodium salt HMR 1098) have been shown to block selectively Kir6.2/SUR1-composed K(ATP) channels. Clamikalant is under development by Aventis Pharma (formerly Hoechst Marion Roussel) for the potential treatment of heart arrest and ventricular arrhythmias. Nevertheless, clamikalant and its sodium salt did not pass the clinical trials

(S)-Carteolol is an enantiomer of the racemic drug carteolol, that is used to treat glaucoma. (S) isomer is a partial agonist with the high affinity to the beta-adrenoceptors. It was shown, that in the treatment of glaucoma, the therapeutic advantage of the R(+)-isomers is similar to the S(-)-isomers and there is no stereo-selectivity between the two enantiomers.

Betaxolol is a competitive, beta(1)-selective (cardioselective) adrenergic antagonist. Betaxolol is used to treat hypertension, arrhythmias, coronary heart disease, glaucoma, and is also used to reduce non-fatal cardiac events in patients with heart failure. (R)-Betaxolol (Dextrobetaxolol) is the R-isomer of Betaxolol (B328000), a cardioselective β1-adrenergic blocker. It is also an antihypertensive and antiglaucoma agent. Dextrobetaxolol had a much weaker affinity at both b1 and b2 receptors than levobetaxolol. Levobetaxolol (Kb=6 nM at b1 and Kb=39 nM at b2 receptors) more potently inhibited functional activities in cells expressing human recombinant b1 and b2 receptors than dextrobetaxolol (Kb=350 and 278 nM, respectively). Likewise, levobetaxolol was a more potent antagonist in isolated tissues than dextrobetaxolol. In functional assays in cultured human NPE cells levobetaxolol (Ki =16.4 nM) was a potent antagonist of isoproterenol-induced cAMP production with dextrobetaxolol (Ki =2.9 uM) being considerably weaker than the latter antagonist. In ocular hypertensive cynomolgus monkeys, levobetaxolol was more effective at reducing IOP than dextrobetaxolol. The results of the study of the pharmacokinetic behavior of the R and S enantiomers of betaxolol following iv and oral administration of the racemate to healthy male subjects failed to reveal any important difference between the pharmacokinetics of the R and S enantiomer of betaxolol. Thus, the pharmacokinetic behavior of racemic betaxolol accurately reflects the behavior of betaxolol enantiomers in this subject group.

Atenolol is a Beta-1 cardio-selective adreno-receptor blocking agent discovered and developed by ICI in 1976. Atenolol was launched in the market under the trade name Tenormin in 1976, and became the best-selling Beta-blocker in the world in the 1980s and 1990s. TENORMIN is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure; also for the long-term management of patients with angina pectoris and also is indicated in the management of hemodynamically stable patients with definite or suspected acute myocardial infarction to reduce cardiovascular mortality. Like metoprolol, atenolol competes with sympathomimetic neurotransmitters such as catecholamines for binding at beta(1)-adrenergic receptors in the heart and vascular smooth muscle, inhibiting sympathetic stimulation. This results in a reduction in resting heart rate, cardiac output, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and reflex orthostatic hypotension. Higher doses of atenolol also competitively block beta(2)-adrenergic responses in the bronchial and vascular smooth muscles. Hypotensive mechanism of atenolol is very complex. Decrease in CO and inhibition of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may mainly be responsible for hypotension. It is likely that potassium retaining action of atenolol partly contributes to its hypotensive action. It is also hypothetized that renal kallikrein-kinin system may play a role in modulating the hypotensive action of atenolol.

Atenolol is a Beta-1 cardio-selective adreno-receptor blocking agent discovered and developed by ICI in 1976. Atenolol was launched in the market under the trade name Tenormin in 1976, and became the best-selling Beta-blocker in the world in the 1980s and 1990s. TENORMIN is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure; also for the long-term management of patients with angina pectoris and also is indicated in the management of hemodynamically stable patients with definite or suspected acute myocardial infarction to reduce cardiovascular mortality. Like metoprolol, atenolol competes with sympathomimetic neurotransmitters such as catecholamines for binding at beta(1)-adrenergic receptors in the heart and vascular smooth muscle, inhibiting sympathetic stimulation. This results in a reduction in resting heart rate, cardiac output, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and reflex orthostatic hypotension. Higher doses of atenolol also competitively block beta(2)-adrenergic responses in the bronchial and vascular smooth muscles. Hypotensive mechanism of atenolol is very complex. Decrease in CO and inhibition of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may mainly be responsible for hypotension. It is likely that potassium retaining action of atenolol partly contributes to its hypotensive action. It is also hypothetized that renal kallikrein-kinin system may play a role in modulating the hypotensive action of atenolol.

The novel compounds clamikalant (HMR 1883) or its sodium salt HMR 1098) have been shown to block selectively Kir6.2/SUR1-composed K(ATP) channels. Clamikalant is under development by Aventis Pharma (formerly Hoechst Marion Roussel) for the potential treatment of heart arrest and ventricular arrhythmias. Nevertheless, clamikalant and its sodium salt did not pass the clinical trials

(S)-Carteolol is an enantiomer of the racemic drug carteolol, that is used to treat glaucoma. (S) isomer is a partial agonist with the high affinity to the beta-adrenoceptors. It was shown, that in the treatment of glaucoma, the therapeutic advantage of the R(+)-isomers is similar to the S(-)-isomers and there is no stereo-selectivity between the two enantiomers.