Desmopressin 10micrograms/ml intranasal solution
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Desmopressin (dDAVP), a synthetic analogue of 8-arginine vasopressin (ADH), is an antidiuretic peptide drug modified by deamination of 1-cysteine and substitution of 8-L-arginine by 8-D-arginine.
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Desmopressin
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Report a side effect
Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Desmopressin
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EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
1 branded products available
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
25 microgram
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via NHS dm+d BNF mapping files. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and NHS BNF section grouping. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Desmopressin
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(5)
Bedwetting in under 19s (CG111)
Bedwetting in children and young people (QS70)
Lower urinary tract symptoms in men: management (CG97)
Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women: management (NG123)
Detecting, managing and monitoring haemostasis: viscoelastometric point‑of‑care testing (ROTEM, TEG and Sonoclot systems) (HTG348)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
Pharmacy stock checkers
Search for this medicine at major UK pharmacy chains. These links open the retailer's own website — results depend on their current online catalogue.
Supply & product information
Official product databases and supply status monitoring
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. emc (electronic medicines compendium) is operated by Datapharm Ltd. Shortage information sourced from NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS), sps.nhs.uk.
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF codes from NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
2.8 hours
Mechanism
Upon binding of desmopressin to V2 receptors in the basolateral membrane of the…
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
4 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
0.75 hour
Half-life
2.8 hours
Protein binding
1.5%
Volume of distribution
0.2 – 0.32 l/kg
[L1184]
It is not reported to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Metabolism
Elimination
65%
could be recovered in the urine within 24 hours .
[L1184]…
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Desmopressin displays enhanced antidiuretic potency, fewer pressor effects due to V2-selective actions, and a prolonged half-life and duration of action compared to endogenous ADH [A31661]. It has been employed clinically since 1972 and is available in various formulations including intranasal solution, intravenous solution, oral tablet and oral lyophilisate [A31662]. Desmopressin is indicated for the treatment of polyuric conditions including primary nocturnal enuresis, nocturia, and diabetes insipidus. It was also newly approved for the treatment of mild classical hemophilia and von Willebrand's disease for minor surgeries. The active ingredient in most formulations is desmopressin acetate. Nocdurna, or desmopressin acetate, was approved by the FDA on June 21st, 2018 for the treatment of nocturia due to nocturnal polyuria in adults. It is available as a sublingual tablet.
- Indicated as antidiuretic replacement therapy in the management of central cranial diabetes insipidus and for management of the temporary polyuria and polydipsia following head trauma or surgery in the pituitary region (intranasal/parenteral).
- Indicated for patients with hemophilia A with factor VIII coagulant activity levels greater than 5% or mild to moderate classic von Willebrand's Disease (Type I) with factor VIII levels greater than 5% during surgical procedures and postoperatively to maintain hemostasis (parenteral).
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1140 interactions
Other signs of overdose may include oliguria and rapid weight gain due to fluid retention [FDA Label]. In case of overdose, reduce the dose or frequency of drug administration, or discontinue use if appropriate. Assessment of serum sodium and initiation of appropriate medical treatment is recommended.
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L1183]
The absolute bioavailability of orally administered desmopressin varies between 0.08% and 0.16% where the mean maximum plasma concentration is reached within 2 hours .
[L1184]
[L1184]
[A31736]
[L1184]
It is not reported to cross the blood-brain barrier.
[L1184]
could be recovered in the urine within 24 hours .
[L1184]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
ATC H01BA02
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Desmopressin
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
2155
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
19910
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
20181
ChemSpider
4470602
BindingDB
50205308
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:897
GenAtlas
AVPR2
GeneCards
AVPR2
GenBank Gene Database
U04357
GenBank Protein Database
28418
Guide to Pharmacology
368
UniProt Accession
V2R_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:895
GenAtlas
AVPR1A
GeneCards
AVPR1A
GenBank Gene Database
L25615
GenBank Protein Database
667068
Guide to Pharmacology
366
UniProt Accession
V1AR_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:896
GenAtlas
AVPR1B
GeneCards
AVPR1B
GenBank Gene Database
D31833
GenBank Protein Database
563982
Guide to Pharmacology
367
UniProt Accession
V1BR_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:8529
GenAtlas
OXTR
GeneCards
OXTR
GenBank Gene Database
X64878
GenBank Protein Database
34765
Guide to Pharmacology
369
UniProt Accession
OXYR_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:9605
GenAtlas
PTGS2
GeneCards
PTGS2
GenBank Gene Database
L15326
GenBank Protein Database
291988
Guide to Pharmacology
1376
UniProt Accession
PGH2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:9604
GenAtlas
PTGS1
GeneCards
PTGS1
GenBank Gene Database
M31822
GenBank Protein Database
387018
Guide to Pharmacology
1375
UniProt Accession
PGH1_HUMAN
International reference pricing
Reference pricing from DrugBank. Prices are indicative and may not reflect current UK costs.
Source: DrugBank. Used under CC BY-NC 4.0 academic licence for non-commercial purposes.
Patent information
7 active patents, 14 expired
Source: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0. Patent data sourced from national patent offices. Expiry dates may not reflect extensions, regulatory exclusivity periods, or legal challenges.
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications: