Cafedrine, also known as norephedrinoethyltheophylline, is a chemical linkage of norephedrine and theophylline and is a cardiac stimulant used to increase blood pressure in people with hypotension. There are few data available for cafedrine. Cafedrine has a half-life of 60 min following both oral and intravenous administration Cafedrine is metabolized to norephedrine and several minor metabolites, but nearly 90% of the administered norephedrine is excreted via the kidneys, mostly unchanged, within 24 h. The effects of cafedrine on cardiac output are believed to be mediated via β- adrenoceptors. Cafedrine has a positive inotropic effect in humans, and this can be abolished by administration of the non-selective β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol. A combination of cafedrine and theodrenaline called Akrinor® is used for the treatment of hypotension in adults that occurs during emergency situations, general anesthesia, and regional anesthesia, especially during cesarean sections. Cafedrine/theodrenaline may have advantages over other vasopressor drugs. For example, it can be administered via bolus while catecholamines normally need to be diluted and administered via syringe pumps. Bolus injection is faster, which may be beneficial in emergency situations, plus it is more cost efficient with respect to the disposables. Cafedrine/theodrenaline has been widely used in Germany since 1963

Dopexamine hydrochloride is a synthetic catecholamine, structurally related to dopamine, with marked intrinsic agonist activity at beta 2-adrenoceptors, lesser agonist activity at dopamine DA1- and DA2-receptors and beta 1-adrenoceptors, and an inhibitory action on the neuronal catecholamine uptake mechanism. The drug is administered by intravenous infusion, and is characterized by a rapid onset and short duration of action. Dopexamine is being tested as a treatment for heart failure and sepsis.

Gepefrine (Pressionorm and Wintonin) is an antihypotensive agent. It was used for therapy of orthostatic dysregulation. One hour after oral administration of 30 mg or 45 mg gepefrine the blood pressure increased significantly at rest and more markedly on standing and during the step test. Gepefrine led to a reduction in pathological orthostatic regulation during the early phase as well as to the prevention of subjective and objective signs of orthostatic adjustment disorder during the late phase. Patients with insufficient rise in blood pressure during the step test (80 watts) showed after gepefrine a distinct tendency towards normalisation and the regression of subjective states of exhaustion. Gepefrine caused on average no substantive alternations in heart rate during all phases of the investigation. Complications or side-effects due to the method or the medicament were not observed.

Norfenefrine or meta-octopamine, also known as 3,β-dihydroxyphenethylamine, is an adrenergic agent used as a sympathomimetic drug which is marketed in Europe, Japan, and Mexico. Along with its structural isomer p-octopamine and the tyramines, norfenefrine is a naturally occurring, endogenous trace amine and plays a role as a minor neurotransmitter in the brain. Norfenefrine controls blood pressure in acute hypotensive states eg pheochromocytomectomy, sympathectomy, poliomyelitis, spinal anesth, MI, septicemia, blood transfusion and drug reactions. Adjunct in treatment of cardiac arrest and hypotension.

Levosimendan (Simdax) is a novel intravenous agent that exerts inotropic effects through sensitization of myofilaments to calcium and vasodilator effects by binding to cardiac troponin C in a calcium-dependent manner. It also has a vasodilatory effect, by opening adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium channels in vascular smooth muscle to cause smooth muscle relaxation. Unlike other calcium sensitizing compounds, the binding of levosimendan is highly dependent on the intracellular concentration of calcium, such that calcium sensitivity is enhanced only when the calcium level is elevated. Levosimendan is licensed for the treatment of decompensated heart failure in many countries but not in North America. This drug also passed phase III clinical trials for the prevention of low cardiac output syndrome in pediatric patients after open heart surgery.

Bucladesine is a cyclic nucleotide derivative which mimics the action of endogenous cAMP and is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. The compound is used in a wide variety of research applications because it mimics cAMP and can induce normal physiological responses when added to cells in experimental conditions. cAMP is only able to elicit minimal responses in these situations. The neurite outgrowth instigated by bucladesine in cell cultures has been shown to be enhanced by nardosinone. Recently, the effect of bucladesine as a cAMP analog has been studied on the pentylenetetrazol-induced seizure in the wild-type mice. The data showed that bucladesine (300nM/mouse) reduced the seizure latency and threshold. In addition they found that combination of bucladesine and pentoxyfillin has additive effect on seizure latency and threshold. Bucladesine is more lipophilic than cAMP and in contrast to cAMP capable of penetrating cell membranes. Bucladesine interferes with different protein kinases which are normally activated by cAMP. Bucladesine has undergone in the past clinical developments as systemic treatment for cardioprotection and as topical treatment to improve wound healing. In Japan, a bucladesine ointment (Actosin® ointment; Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) was marketed to treat skin ulcers. Clinical studies have shown favourable effects on diabetic foot ulcers or decubitus, but the compound was later withdrawn despite good tolerability. One possible reason for the withdrawal may be the odour of the cream formulation which can be related to the hydrolytic cleavage in aqueous solutions resulting in release of butyric acid.

Angiotensinamide is octapeptide amide of bovine angiotensin II used to increase blood pressure by vasoconstriction. Angiotensinamide is indicated for the treatment of severe hypotension unresponsive to traditional pressor agents. Angiotensinamide has a strong pressure effect, due to the increased peripheral resistance of blood vessels, especially small caliber arterioles. Under the influence of angiotensinamide, the vessels of the internal organs, skin, kidneys are particularly narrowed. Blood circulation in skeletal muscles and coronary vessels does not change significantly. The drug has no direct effect on the heart and does not cause arrhythmias in therapeutic doses. Angiotensinamide is rapidly inactivated by enzymes contained in the blood, and therefore, when administered once, it has a short-term (2–3 min) pressure effect. However, the duration of the effect can be relatively easily controlled by selecting the appropriate rate of administration of the drug solution.

Isoproterenol (trade names Medihaler-Iso and Isuprel) is a medication used for the treatment of bradycardia (slow heart rate), heart block, and rarely for asthma. Isoproterenol is a non-selective β adrenoreceptor agonist and TAAR1 agonist that is the isopropylaminomethyl analog of epinephrine. Isoprenaline's effects on the cardiovascular system (non-selective) relate to its actions on cardiac β1 receptors and β2 receptors on smooth muscle within the tunica media of arterioles. Isoprenaline has positive inotropic and chronotropic effects on the heart. β2 adrenoceptor stimulation in arteriolar smooth muscle induces vasodilation. Its inotropic and chronotropic effects elevate systolic blood pressure, while its vasodilatory effects tend to lower diastolic blood pressure. The overall effect is to decrease mean arterial pressure due to the β2 receptors' vasodilation. The adverse effects of isoprenaline are also related to the drug's cardiovascular effects. Isoprenaline can produce tachycardia (an elevated heart rate), which predisposes patients to cardiac arrhythmias.

Berefrine (also known as phenylephrine oxazolidine), a prodrug of phenylephrine, is a mydriatic agent. Berefrine was developed for improving ocular absorption and reducing systemic side effects.