Polidocanol

Polidocanol

Clinical data
AHFS/Drugs.com	International Drug Names
Pregnancy category	Topical: allowed Injection: contraindication in months 1–3 and after week 36
Routes of administration	topical, subcutaneous injection
ATC code	C05BB02 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	OTC (topical), ℞ (injection)
Identifiers
IUPAC name 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27-nonaoxanonatriacontan-1-ol
Synonyms	Polydocanol Laureth 9 Macrogol lauryl ether Lauromacrogol PEG-9 lauryl alcohol POE-9 lauryl alcohol Dodecylpolyethyleneglycolether Hydroxyl polyethoxy dodecane Oxypolyethoxydodecane
CAS Number	9002-92-0 Y
PubChem CID	656641
ChemSpider	570993 N
UNII	0AWH8BFG9A
KEGG	D01993 Y
ChEMBL	CHEMBL1201751 N
ECHA InfoCard	100.105.513
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C30H62O10
Molar mass	582.8073 g/mol (predicted)
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
SMILES CCCCCCCCCCCCOCCOCCOCCOCCOCCOCCOCCOCCOCCO
InChI InChI=1S/C30H62O10/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-13-32-15-17-34-19-21-36-23-25-38-27-29-40-30-28-39-26-24-37-22-20-35-18-16-33-14-12-31/h31H,2-30H2,1H3 N Key:ONJQDTZCDSESIW-UHFFFAOYSA-N N
NY (what is this?)

Polidocanol is a local anaesthetic and antipruritic component of ointments and bath additives. It relieves itching caused by eczema and dry skin. It is formed by the ethoxylation of dodecanol.

The substance is also used as a sclerosant, an irritant injected to treat varicose veins, under the trade names Asclera, Aethoxysklerol and Varithena. Polidocanol causes fibrosis inside varicose veins, occluding the lumen of the vessel, and reducing the appearance of the varicosity.

The FDA has approved polidocanol injections for the treatment of small varicose (less than 1 mm in diameter) and reticular veins (1 to 3 mm in diameter). Polidocanol works by damaging the cell lining of blood vessels, causing them to close and eventually be replaced by other types of tissue.