Pharma & Specialty Chemical Standards

Famotidine, IUPAC name 4-[[[2-[(Aminosulfonyl)methyl]-5-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl]methyl]amino]-3-hydroxybutanoic acid, is an H2-receptor antagonist with molecular formula C14H21N3O3S (molecular weight 311.4 g/mol). Structurally, it features a substituted benzimidazole ring fused to a thiazole-like moiety, conferring high receptor selectivity. Therapeutically, it reduces gastric acid secretion, treating GERD and peptic ulcers. It is a white to off-white solid, sparingly soluble in water (pKa ~6.8), and exhibits high bioavailability. Mechanistically, it competitively inhibits histamine at H2 receptors in gastric parietal cells, suppressing hydrogen ion (H+) secretion via inhibition of the H+/K+ ATPase pump.