Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014 Jul;8(3):388-91.
doi: 10.4103/1658-354X.136627.

Remimazolam: The future of its sedative potential

Basavana Gouda Goudra  1 , Preet Mohinder Singh  2
Affiliations
Review

Remimazolam: The future of its sedative potential

Basavana Gouda Goudra et al. Saudi J Anaesth. 2014 Jul.

Abstract

Remimazolam (CNS 7056) is a new drug innovation in anesthesia. It combines the properties of two unique drugs already established in anesthesia - Midazolam and remifentanil. It acts on GABA receptors like midazolam and has organ-independent metabolism like remifentanil. It is likely to be the sedative of the future, as preliminary phase II trials have shown minimal residual effects on prolonged infusions. It has potential to be used as a sedative in ICU and as a novel agent for procedural sedation. Unlike most rapidly acting intravenous sedatives available presently, the propensity to cause apnea is very low. Availability of a specific antagonist (flumazenil) adds to its safety even in cases of overdose. The present review discusses remimazolam's potential as a new drug in anesthesia along with the presently available literary evidence.

Keywords: CNS 7056; newer sedatives in anesthesia; remimazolam; soft chemistry in anesthesia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structural comparison between midazolam and remimazolam
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kilpatrick GJ, McIntyre MS, Cox RF, Stafford JA, Pacofsky GJ, Lovell GG, et al. CNS 7056: A novel ultra-short-acting Benzodiazepine. Anesthesiology. 2007;107:60–6. - PubMed
    1. Upton RN, Somogyi AA, Martinez AM, Colvill J, Grant C. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the short-acting sedative CNS 7056 in sheep. Br J Anaesth. 2010;105:798–809. - PubMed
    1. Upton R, Martinez A, Grant C. A dose escalation study in sheep of the effects of the benzodiazepine CNS 7056 on sedation, the EEG and the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Br J Pharmacol. 2008;155:52–61. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Upton RN, Martinez AM, Grant C. Comparison of the sedative properties of CNS 7056, midazolam, and propofol in sheep. Br J Anaesth. 2009;103:848–57. - PubMed
    1. Saari TI, Uusi-Oukari M, Ahonen J, Olkkola KT. Enhancement of GABAergic activity: Neuropharmacological effects of benzodiazepines and therapeutic use in anesthesiology. Pharmacol Rev. 2011;63:243–67. - PubMed