Aminacrine has long been known to be a potent frameshift mutagen in viruses and bacteria. It is one in a general class of aminoacridine dyes that bind to DNA and possess mutagenic activity. Aminacrine is used clinically as a topical antiseptic. A part from therapeutic use, aminacrine is also introduced as a matrix for negative mode matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI).

Acriflavine (ACF) is a topical antiseptic. The hydrochloride form is more irritating than the neutral form. It is derived from acridine. Commercial preparations are often mixtures with proflavine. Acriflavine was developed in 1912 by Paul Ehrlich, a German medical researcher, and was used during the First World War against sleeping sickness. ACF has known trypanocidal, antibacterial, and antiviral activities. Effects of ACF on cancer cells were first reported 50 years ago. By present time was demonstrated that ACF a drug, that binds directly to HIF-1 alpha and HIF-2 alpha and inhibits HIF-1 dimerization and transcriptional activity and thus has potent inhibitory effects on tumor growth and vascularization. Also Acriflavine in combination with 3,6-diaminoacridine (proflavine) could prove to be a potential antimalarial drug and its pharmacological action can be due to inhibition of gyrase activity. This is achieved through interaction of the ACF with the DNA substrate. This interaction may lead to conformation change in DNA unsuitable for binding of gyrase with DNA.

Ethacridine (Rivanol) is an acridine derivative indicated for the treatment of bacterial infections. In many countries the drug was in clinical practice for the second trimester termination of pregnancy.