Amfecloral

Amfecloral (INN), also known as amphecloral (USAN), is a stimulant drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes that was used as an appetite suppressant under the trade name Acutran, but is now no longer marketed. It acts as a prodrug which splits to form amphetamine and chloral hydrate, similarly to clobenzorex and related compounds, except that the N-substituent in this case yields a compound that is active in its own right. The chloral hydrate metabolite is a gabaminergic sedative/hypnotic, and would in theory counteract some of the stimulant effects of the amphetamine metabolite. This would produce an effect similar to the amphetamine/barbiturate combinations previously used in psychiatric medications.

Synthesis
Amphetamine + Chloral hydrate → 1-phenyl-N-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene)propan-2-amine.


 * C. Cavallito, (1960);
 * Chem. Abstr., 54: 9846c (1966).