Docosahexaenoic acid 100mg capsules
A mixture of fish oil and primrose oil, doconexent is used as a high-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplement.
Safety information for pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnancy
Always consult your doctor or midwife before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Source: DrugBank (CC BY-NC 4.0).
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 Docosahexaenoic acid
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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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About EudraVigilance
Learn about EU pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring
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
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NICE clinical guidance(2)
Schizophrenia: omega-3 fatty acid medicines (ESUOM19)
Icosapent ethyl with statin therapy for reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in people with raised triglycerides (TA805)
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 & safety information
Official UK regulator monitoring and safety alerts
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. Shortage and safety information sourced from MHRA drug safety updates (gov.uk, Crown Copyright under OGL v3.0).
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF code shown is the factual mapping value distributed by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in the dm+d supplementary file under OGL v3.0; it is not affiliated with, nor licensed from, the publishers of the British National Formulary.
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.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 41 · Randomised trials: 7 · 1996–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
J. Brenna, Behzad Varamini, R. G. Jensen, et al.
The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2007
P. Elliott Miller, Mary Van Elswyk, Dominik D. Alexander
American Journal of Hypertension, 2014
- Blood Pressure
- Docosahexaenoic Acids
- Fishes
Robert G. Voigt, Antolin M. Llorente, Craig L. Jensen, et al.
The Journal of Pediatrics, 2001
- Analysis of Variance
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
- Child Behavior
Susan E. Carlson, Susan H. Werkman
Lipids, 1996
- Visual Perception
- Docosahexaenoic Acids
- Infant, Premature
Cornelius M. Smuts
Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2003
- Dietary Supplements
- Birth Weight
- Dietary Fats, Unsaturated
Ken D. Stark, Mary E. Van Elswyk, Marguerite Higgins, et al.
Progress in Lipid Research, 2016
- Docosahexaenoic Acids
- Erythrocytes
- Fatty Acids
Michael Weiser, Christopher M. Butt, M. Hasan Mohajeri
Nutrients, 2016
- Aging
- Brain
- Cognition
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the predominant omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) found in the brain and can affect neurological function by modulating signal transduction pathways, neurotransmission, neurogenesis, myelination, membrane receptor function, synaptic plasticity, neuroinflammation, membrane integrity and membrane organization. DHA is rapidly accumulated in the brain during gestation and early infancy, and the availability of DHA via transfer from maternal stores impacts the degree of DHA incorporation into neural tissues. The consumption of DHA leads to many positive physiological and behavioral effects, including those on cognition. Advanced cognitive function is uniquely human, and the optimal development and aging of cognitive abilities has profound impacts on quality of life, productivity, and advancement of society in general. However, the modern diet typically lacks appreciable amounts of DHA. Therefore, in modern populations, maintaining optimal levels of DHA in the brain throughout the lifespan likely requires obtaining preformed DHA via dietary or supplemental sources. In this review, we examine the role of DHA in optimal cognition during development, adulthood, and aging with a focus on human evidence and putative mechanisms of action.
Abstract licence: CC BY 4.0
Grace Y. Sun, Ágnes Simonyi, Kevin L. Fritsche, et al.
Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 2017
- Aging
- Mental Disorders
- Brain
Daniel Hwang, Jeong‐a Kim, Joo Young Lee
European Journal of Pharmacology, 2016
- Docosahexaenoic Acids
- Fatty Acids
- Membrane Microdomains
Inga Marie Aasen, Helga Ertesvåg, Tonje Marita Bjerkan Heggeset, et al.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2016
- Carotenoids
- Docosahexaenoic Acids
- Fatty Acids
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study 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
20 hours
Mechanism
DHA and its conversion to other lipid signalling moleccules compete with the ara…
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
9 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
Half-life
20 hours
[A19370]
Volume of distribution
Metabolism
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 329 interactions
DHA acts as a ligand at peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma and alpha that regulate lipid signalling molecule-mediated transduction pathways and modulate inflammation.
As a natural ligand, DHA induces a protective effect in retinal tissues by activating retinoid x receptors and subsequent ERK/MAPK signaling pathway in photoreceptors to promote their survival and differentiation, stimulating the expression of antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and preserving mitochondrial membrane potential [A19453].
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[A19370]
[A19452]
[A19431]
DHA may also be metabolized to 19,20-epoxydocosapentaenoic acids (EDPs) and isomers via CYP2C9 activity.
Epoxy metabolites are reported to mediate anti-tumor activity by inhibiting angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis.
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
Activated by oleylethanolamide, a naturally occurring lipid that regulates satiety. Receptor for peroxisome proliferators such as hypolipidemic drugs and fatty acids. Regulates the peroxisomal beta-oxidation pathway of fatty acids.
Functions as a transcription activator for the ACOX1 and P450 genes. Transactivation activity requires heterodimerization with RXRA and is antagonized by NR2C2. May be required for the propagation of clock information to metabolic pathways regulated by PER2
Key regulator of adipocyte differentiation and glucose homeostasis. ARF6 acts as a key regulator of the tissue-specific adipocyte P2 (aP2) enhancer. Acts as a critical regulator of gut homeostasis by suppressing NF-kappa-B-mediated pro-inflammatory responses.
Plays a role in the regulation of cardiovascular circadian rhythms by regulating the transcription of BMAL1 in the blood vessels (By similarity)
PMID:10874028 PMID:11162439 PMID:11915042 PMID:37478846
Forms homo- or heterodimers with retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and binds to target response elements in response to their ligands, all-trans or 9-cis retinoic acid, to regulate gene expression in various biological processes .
PMID:10195690 PMID:11162439 PMID:11915042 PMID:16107141 PMID:17761950 PMID:18800767 PMID:19167885 PMID:28167758 PMID:37478846
The RAR/RXR heterodimers bind to the retinoic acid response elements (RARE) composed of tandem 5'-AGGTCA-3' sites known as DR1-DR5 to regulate transcription .
PMID:10195690 PMID:11162439 PMID:11915042 PMID:17761950 PMID:28167758
The high affinity ligand for retinoid X receptors (RXRs) is 9-cis retinoic acid .
PMID:1310260
In the absence of ligand, the RXR-RAR heterodimers associate with a multiprotein complex containing transcription corepressors that induce histone deacetylation, chromatin condensation and transcriptional suppression .
PMID:20215566
On ligand binding, the corepressors dissociate from the receptors and coactivators are recruited leading to transcriptional activation .
PMID:20215566 PMID:37478846 PMID:9267036
Serves as a common heterodimeric partner for a number of nuclear receptors, such as RARA, RARB and PPARA .
PMID:10195690 PMID:11915042 PMID:28167758 PMID:29021580
The RXRA/RARB heterodimer can act as a transcriptional repressor or transcriptional activator, depending on the RARE DNA element context .
PMID:29021580
The RXRA/PPARA heterodimer is required for PPARA transcriptional activity on fatty acid oxidation genes such as ACOX1 and the P450 system genes .
PMID:10195690
Together with RARA, positively regulates microRNA-10a expression, thereby inhibiting the GATA6/VCAM1 signaling response to pulsatile shear stress in vascular endothelial cells .
PMID:28167758
Acts as an enhancer of RARA binding to RARE DNA element .
PMID:28167758
May facilitate the nuclear import of heterodimerization partners such as VDR and NR4A1 .
PMID:12145331 PMID:15509776
Promotes myelin debris phagocytosis and remyelination by macrophages .
PMID:26463675
Plays a role in the attenuation of the innate immune system in response to viral infections, possibly by negatively regulating the transcription of antiviral genes such as type I IFN genes .
PMID:25417649
Involved in the regulation of calcium signaling by repressing ITPR2 gene expression, thereby controlling cellular senescence PMID:30216632
The high affinity ligand for RXRs is 9-cis retinoic acid (By similarity)
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
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)
Doconexent
Matched from: Docosahexaenoic acid
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
1796
ChemSpider
393183
BindingDB
50210259
PDB
HXA
ZINC
ZINC000004474564
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:9232
GenAtlas
PPARA
GeneCards
PPARA
GenBank Gene Database
L02932
GenBank Protein Database
307341
Guide to Pharmacology
593
UniProt Accession
PPARA_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:9236
GenAtlas
PPARG
GeneCards
PPARG
GenBank Gene Database
U79012
GenBank Protein Database
1711117
Guide to Pharmacology
595
UniProt Accession
PPARG_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10477
GenAtlas
RXRA
GeneCards
RXRA
GenBank Gene Database
X52773
GenBank Protein Database
35885
Guide to Pharmacology
610
UniProt Accession
RXRA_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10478
GenAtlas
RXRB
GeneCards
RXRB
GenBank Gene Database
X63522
GenBank Protein Database
30448
Guide to Pharmacology
611
UniProt Accession
RXRB_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10479
GenAtlas
RXRG
GeneCards
RXRG
GenBank Gene Database
U38480
GenBank Protein Database
1053069
Guide to Pharmacology
612
UniProt Accession
RXRG_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
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:11289
GeneCards
SREBF1
UniProt Accession
SRBP1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:7553
GeneCards
MYC
UniProt Accession
MYC_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2623
GenAtlas
CYP2C9
GeneCards
CYP2C9
GenBank Gene Database
AY341248
Guide to Pharmacology
1326
UniProt Accession
CP2C9_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications:
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Structured knowledge from the free knowledge base
Linked open data from Wikidata (Q423345), a free and open knowledge base operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Data is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication.