Dexamethasone
About twenty-five times more potent as an anti-inflammatory than the body's own cortisol, dexamethasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid that suppresses inflammation and immune activity by altering gene expression within cells. Its reach is broad: severe allergic reactions, autoimmune disease, swelling of the brain, and the respiratory failure of COVID-19 are among its many uses. A fluorinated steroid molecule (C22H29FO5) with a long biological effect and a half-life of roughly 36 to 54 hours, it provides sustained action from infrequent dosing. The same powerful immune suppression that delivers its benefit also accounts for the metabolic and infection-related consequences of prolonged use. Dexamethasone is an approved corticosteroid relied upon wherever strong, durable anti-inflammatory effect is required.
A potent synthetic glucocorticoid with approximately 25 times the anti-inflammatory potency of cortisol, used for a wide range of conditions including severe allergic reactions, autoimmune diseases, brain edema, and COVID-19 respiratory failure. It suppresses the immune system and reduces inflammation by affecting gene expression.
Molekularmasse
392,4610 g/mol
LogP
1,90
TPSA
94,80 Ų
Lipinski-Regel der Fünf
Bestanden
Therapeutische Bereiche
Arzneimittelklassen
Wirkmechanismus
Potent synthetic glucocorticoid.
Pharmacokinetics (PK)
Pharmacodynamics (PD)
Potent synthetic glucocorticoid.
2D-Struktur
Cite this structure
Embed this structure
SMILES
C[C@@H]1C[C@H]2[C@@H]3CCC4=CC(=O)C=C[C@]4(C)[C@@]3(F)[C@@H](O)C[C@]2(C)[C@@]1(O)C(=O)CO
InChI
InChI=1S/C22H29FO5/c1-12-8-16-15-5-4-13-9-14(25)6-7-19(13,2)21(15,23)17(26)10-20(16,3)22(12,28)18(27)11-24/h6-7,9,12,15-17,24,26,28H,4-5,8,10-11H2,1-3H3/t12-,15+,16+,17+,19+,20+,21+,22+/m1/s1
Molecular Formula
C22H29FO5
HBD / HBA
3 / 6
Rotierbare Bindungen
2
Schwere Atome
28
Dexamethasone and methotrexate are commonly combined in oncology regimens; dexamethasone may modestly reduce methotrexate's antifolate toxicity but also reduce some therapeutic activity.
Phenytoin induces CYP3A4-mediated metabolism of dexamethasone, significantly reducing dexamethasone plasma concentrations and risking loss of efficacy (e.g., in cerebral edema or cancer treatment).
Fluconazole inhibits CYP3A4, reducing dexamethasone clearance and raising dexamethasone plasma levels, potentially causing Cushingoid features or adrenal suppression on steroid withdrawal.
Dexamethasone causes dose-dependent hyperglycaemia by inducing insulin resistance and increasing hepatic glucose output, substantially increasing insulin requirements in diabetic patients.
Systemic corticosteroids such as dexamethasone can attenuate pembrolizumab's immune-stimulating anti-tumour activity by suppressing the immune effector responses that the checkpoint inhibitor relies on.
Carbamazepine is a potent CYP3A4 inducer that markedly increases dexamethasone clearance, reducing its plasma concentrations by 50–80% and risking loss of anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive efficacy.
No side effects recorded
Side effect data is not yet available for this drug.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
A potent synthetic glucocorticoid with approximately 25 times the anti-inflammatory potency of cortisol, used for a wide range of conditions including severe allergic reactions, autoimmune diseases, brain edema, and COVID-19 respiratory failure. It suppresses the immune system and reduces inflammation by affecting gene expression.
Potent synthetic glucocorticoid.
Key pharmacokinetic parameters for Dexamethasone: Half-life: 36-54 hours.
Yes, Dexamethasone is an approved drug. It has reached clinical phase 4. It is classified as a Small molecule.
Related Drugs
Same Drug Class
References & Data Sources
- ChEMBL — European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). CHEMBL384467. Open-access bioactivity database.
- PubChem — National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). CID 5743. Chemical information database.
Data aggregated from publicly available pharmacological databases. Last updated 2026-03-04.
Medizinischer Haftungsausschluss
This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making medication decisions.
Embed This Widget
Add the script tag and a data attribute to embed this widget.
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/drugfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>
<div data-drugfyi="drug" data-slug="dexamethasone"></div>Embed via iframe for maximum compatibility.
<iframe src="https://drugfyi.com/iframe/drug/dexamethasone/" width="420" height="400" frameborder="0" style="border:0;border-radius:10px;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe>Paste this URL in WordPress, Medium, or any oEmbed-compatible platform.
https://drugfyi.com/drug/dexamethasone/Add a dynamic SVG badge to your README or docs.
[](https://drugfyi.com/drug/dexamethasone/)Use the native HTML custom element.
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/drugfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>
<drugfyi-drug slug="dexamethasone"></drugfyi-drug>