Hexylresorcinol 2.4mg lozenges
Available from pharmacies, supermarkets, and retail outlets
Hexylresorcinol is a substituted dihydroxybenzene.
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Yellow Card reports
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Hexylresorcinol
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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.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Hexylresorcinol
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15 branded products available
Part of the Strepsils brand family (generic: Hexylresorcinol)
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Hexylresorcinol on the MHRA register
Strepsils Extra Triple Action Blackcurrant 2.4mg lozenges
Strepsils Extra Triple Action Cherry 2.4mg lozenges
Strepsils Triple Action Honey & Lemon 2.4mg lozenges
Lemsip Sore Throat Triple Action Citrus Fruit 2.4mg lozenges
Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd
Lemsip Sore Throat Triple Action Honey & Lemon 2.4mg lozenges
Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd
This is the NHS Drug Tariff indicative price used for reimbursement purposes. It may not reflect the price paid by patients or pharmacies.
View full Drug TariffSource: NHS Drug Tariff via NHSBSA. Derived from dm+d VMPP (Virtual Medicinal Product Pack) pricing data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NICE clinical guidance(1)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
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NHS UK identifiers
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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. 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.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 1 · 1993–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Tahir Ali Sheikh, Mohammed M. Rahman, Abdullah M. Asiri, et al.
Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2018
Gow‐Chin Yen, Pin‐Der Duh, Chun-Wei Lin
Free Radical Research, 2003
- DNA Damage
- Resveratrol
- Antioxidants
N.F. İyidoǧan, Alev Bayındırlı
Journal of Food Engineering, 2003
Javier Fidalgo, Deglesne PA, R Arroya, et al.
2019
A. Monsalve-González, Gustavo V. Barbosa‐Cánovas, Ralph P. Cavalieri, et al.
Journal of Food Science, 1993
J. Guerrero-Beltrán, B. Swanson, G. Barbosa‐Cánovas
Lwt - Food Science and Technology, 2005
Martina Morokutti-Kurz, Christine Gräf, Eva Prieschl‐Grassauer
International Journal of General Medicine, 2017
Abstract: Up to 80% of sore throats are caused by viruses. Several over the counter products are available which provide symptomatic, not causal relief. For such lozenges, containing the antiseptics and local anesthetics amylmetacresol (AMC) and 2,4-dichlorobenzyl alcohol (DCBA) or hexylresorcinol (HR), recently an additional virucidal effect was published. Therefore, we tested a set of Strepsils ® lozenges, containing either HR (Max [#2]) or AMC/DCBA (Original [#3], Extra Strong [#4], Warm [#5], Orange and Vitamin C [#6], Sugar free Lemon [#7], Children/Strawberry [#8] and Soothing Honey and Lemon [#9]) for their antiviral efficiency against representatives of respiratory viruses known to cause sore throat: human rhinovirus (HRV) 1a, HRV8, influenza virus A H1N1n, Coxsackievirus A10, and human coronavirus (hCoV) OC43. The lozenges were tested head to head with Coldamaris ® lozenges (#1), which contain the patented antiviral iota-carrageenan. None of the tested AMC/DCBA or HR containing lozenges shows any antiviral effectiveness against HRV8 at the tested concentrations, whereas all are moderately active against HRV1a. Only lozenge #5 shows any activity against hCoV OC43 and Coxsackievirus A10 at the tested concentrations. Similarly, only lozenge #3 is moderately active against influenza A H1N1n virus. The data indicates that neither the isolated effect of the active ingredients nor the pH but rather one or more of the excipients of the specific formulations are responsible for the antiviral effect of some of the AMC/DCBA or HR containing lozenges. In contrast, carrageenan-containing lozenges are highly active against all viruses tested. In another experiment, we showed that binding and inactivation of virus particles by iota-carrageenan are fast and highly effective. During the residence time of the lozenge in the mouth, the viral titer is reduced by 85% and 91% for influenza A virus and hCoV OC43, respectively. Carrageenan-containing lozenges are, therefore, suitable as causative therapy against viral infections of the throat. Keywords: local anesthetics, polymer, antiviral, respiratory viruses
Abstract licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Giulio Aceto, Laura Di Muzio, Ritamaria Di Lorenzo, et al.
Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 2023
You‐Young Jo, HaeYong Kweon, Dae Won Kim, et al.
Scientific Reports, 2017
- Sutures
- Anti-Infective Agents
- Biocompatible Materials
Jingna Liu, Bingqing Chen, Qianyi Hu, et al.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2023
- Hexylresorcinol
- Pectins
- Escherichia coli
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
Not available
Mechanism
When acting as an oral anesthetic for relieving sore throats, it is generally be…
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
3 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
[L2739]
Half-life
Protein binding
Volume of distribution
Metabolism
[L2739]…
Elimination
18%
[L2739]…
Clearance
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
The compound may also be used commonly in various commercial cosmetic anti-aging creams while ongoing studies research the possibility of using hexylresorcinol as an anti-cancer therapy - indications all of which require further study and testing at the current moment.
[L2734][L2735]
In addition, hexylresorcinol is used as an active ingredient in various commercial cosmetic skincare products as an anti-aging cream [L2736] while other studies have looked into whether or not the compound could be used effectively as an anti-inflammatory agent or even as an anti-cancer therapy .
[L2736]
The probable oral LD50 of hexylresorcinol in humans has been estimated to be between 500 and 5000 mg/kg body weight, between 1 oz and 1 pint (or 1 lbs) for a 70 kg person .
[L2739][L2740]
As an antiseptic agent, studies have demonstrated that hexylresorcinol is capable of eliciting actions like reducing or inhibiting the generation of bacterial biofilm, interfering with bacterial cell chain formation, reducing bacterial adherence of the pharynx, inhibition of glycolytic enzyme and pH drops, and alteration of cell surface hydrophobicity [A33017]. Unfortunately, there are either antibiotics that function even more effectively at formally treating bacterial growth or there are also other plant-derived phenolic compounds similar to hexylresorcinol that elicit stronger such mechanisms of action [A33017]. Nevertheless, it is useful for hexylresorcinol to have both anesthetic and certain antiseptic actions for its use in treating various relatively self-limiting scrapes and sore throats that are treated by the over-the-counter products that feature the compound. Early studies in the 1930s and 1940s suggested that there were more effective medicines over hexylresorcinol that could be employed for their anthelmintic effects [A33020].
As an anti-inflammatory and anti-aging agent, some studies have shown that it may be possible for hexylresorcinol to inhibit the phosphorylation of the immune response mediator NF-kappaB and also elicit a significant skin lightening effect owing to a strong inhibitory effect on tyrosinase and peroxidase and a stimulatory effect on glutathione and E-cadherin syntheses [L2736]. It is proposed that hexylresorcinol can bind to tyrosinase directly and inhibits its enzyme activity [L2736]. Literature data suggests that low glutathione levels relates to the deposition of melanin in the skin of humans and other animals, while high glutathione levels inhibit melanogenesis [L2736]. And ultimately, it is also reported that glutathione depletion increases tyrosinase activity in human melanoma cells, which makes hexylresorcinol's effects on tyrosinase desirable [L2736].
Finally, there are ongoing studies that have reported hexylresorcinol's abilities to induce the differentiation of SCC-9 squamous cell cell-line by way of the modulation of the E2F-mediated signaling pathway and suppress the growth of squamous cell carcinoma SCC-9 cells in a dose-dependent manner [L2736]. Moreover, such studies have also shown that hexylresorcinol is seemingly capable of dose-dependent induction of SCC-9 cell apoptosis as well as the inhibition of transglutaminase-2 enzyme activity which can facilitate chemotherapy resistance [L2736].
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L2739]
[L2739]
[L2739]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
The free DNA strand then rotates around the intact phosphodiester bond on the opposing strand, thus removing DNA supercoils. Finally, in the religation step, the DNA 5'-OH attacks the covalent intermediate to expel the active-site tyrosine and restore the DNA phosphodiester backbone (By similarity). Regulates the alternative splicing of tissue factor (F3) pre-mRNA in endothelial cells.
Involved in the circadian transcription of the core circadian clock component BMAL1 by altering the chromatin structure around the ROR response elements (ROREs) on the BMAL1 promoter
PMID:23941696 PMID:31991788 PMID:9252372
Involved in many biological processes, such as bone development, angiogenesis, wound healing, cellular differentiation, chromatin modification and apoptosis .
PMID:1683874 PMID:27270573 PMID:28198360 PMID:7935379 PMID:9252372
Acts as a protein-glutamine gamma-glutamyltransferase by mediating the cross-linking of proteins, such as ACO2, HSPB6, FN1, HMGB1, RAP1GDS1, SLC25A4/ANT1, SPP1 and WDR54 .
PMID:23941696 PMID:24349085 PMID:29618516 PMID:30458214
Under physiological conditions, the protein cross-linking activity is inhibited by GTP; inhibition is relieved by Ca(2+) in response to various stresses .
PMID:18092889 PMID:7592956 PMID:7649299
When secreted, catalyzes cross-linking of proteins of the extracellular matrix, such as FN1 and SPP1 resulting in the formation of scaffolds .
PMID:12506096
Plays a key role during apoptosis, both by (1) promoting the cross-linking of cytoskeletal proteins resulting in condensation of the cytoplasm, and by (2) mediating cross-linking proteins of the extracellular matrix, resulting in the irreversible formation of scaffolds that stabilize the integrity of the dying cells before their clearance by phagocytosis, thereby preventing the leakage of harmful intracellular components .
PMID:7935379 PMID:9252372
In addition to protein cross-linking, can use different monoamine substrates to catalyze a vast array of protein post-translational modifications: mediates aminylation of serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline or histamine into glutamine residues of target proteins to generate protein serotonylation, dopaminylation, noradrenalinylation or histaminylation, respectively .
PMID:23797785 PMID:30867594
Mediates protein serotonylation of small GTPases during activation and aggregation of platelets, leading to constitutive activation of these GTPases (By similarity). Plays a key role in chromatin organization by mediating serotonylation and dopaminylation of histone H3 .
PMID:30867594 PMID:32273471
Catalyzes serotonylation of 'Gln-5' of histone H3 (H3Q5ser) during serotonergic neuron differentiation, thereby facilitating transcription .
PMID:30867594
Acts as a mediator of neurotransmission-independent role of nuclear dopamine in ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons: catalyzes dopaminylation of 'Gln-5' of histone H3 (H3Q5dop), thereby regulating relapse-related transcriptional plasticity in the reward system .
PMID:32273471
Regulates vein remodeling by mediating serotonylation and subsequent inactivation of ATP2A2/SERCA2 (By similarity). Also acts as a protein deamidase by mediating the side chain deamidation of specific glutamine residues of proteins to glutamate .
PMID:20547769 PMID:9623982
Catalyzes specific deamidation of protein gliadin, a component of wheat gluten in the diet .
PMID:9623982
May also act as an isopeptidase cleaving the previously formed cross-links .
PMID:26250429 PMID:27131890
Also able to participate in signaling pathways independently of its acyltransferase activity: acts as a signal transducer in alpha-1 adrenergic receptor-mediated stimulation of phospholipase C-delta (PLCD) activity and is required for coupling alpha-1 adrenergic agonists to the stimulation of phosphoinositide lipid metabolism PMID:8943303
ATC R02AA12
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)
Hexylresorcinol
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
700
ChemSpider
21106121
BindingDB
50292636
ZINC
ZINC000001576892
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:12442
GenAtlas
TYR
GeneCards
TYR
GenBank Gene Database
M27160
GenBank Protein Database
340037
Guide to Pharmacology
2643
UniProt Accession
TYRO_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:11986
GenAtlas
TOP1
GeneCards
TOP1
GenBank Gene Database
J03250
GenBank Protein Database
339806
UniProt Accession
TOP1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:11778
GenAtlas
TGM2
GeneCards
TGM2
GenBank Gene Database
M55153
GenBank Protein Database
339521
Guide to Pharmacology
3015
UniProt Accession
TGM2_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
ATC classifications (Wikidata)
Linked open data from Wikidata (Q229969), a free and open knowledge base operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Data is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication.