A. Casy, R. T. Parfitt
1986
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Abstract
During World War II, chemists working in the Hoechst Laboratories of I. G. Farbenindustrie discovered that certain derivatives of 3,3-diphenyl-N,N-dimethylpropylamine had analgesic properties. Details of this work, acquired by the Allies as one of the fruits of victory,(1) provided a lead to a novel class of analgesic that was followed with vigor on both sides of the Atlantic. The best-known member of the group is 6-dimethylamino-4,4-diphenylheptan-3-one (1, methadone, amidone, Physeptone), which was introduced into clinical practice in 1946; several variants obtained by modifying the basic group and/or ketone function have also been marketed as analgesics.