moleculefinder

Memantine

C12H21N179.3 g/mol Calculated

Also called nemdatine.

A dementia medicine used for moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. It works on glutamate signalling rather than acetylcholine.

Sources and notes
  • The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
  • Other namesfrom sourcePubChem / Wikidata
  • Formula and weightcomputedPubChem
  • 2D drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKit
  • 3D modelfrom sourcePubChem 3D conformerLoaded after the page has painted, and on a phone only when you ask for it; the 2D drawing shows until it arrives.

Where you encounter it

Dispensed on prescription, not sold on a shelf.

Sources and notes
  • The line abovefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedFrom the group the molecule belongs to.

Explore its structure

Choose a part to light it up.

A nitrogen carrying one or two hydrogens. Its spare pair of electrons can pick up a hydrogen ion, so an amine is a base.

From: standard chemistry.

Sources and notes
  • The drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKitThe page's one shipped drawing, with the chosen part lit in amber under it.
  • The partscomputedFound by ruleEach part is found by a chemical pattern, never picked by hand atom by atom; its words say where they come from.

Compare a related molecule

Donepezil

Memantine

Donepezil makes the remaining acetylcholine last longer by blocking acetylcholinesterase, while memantine partly blocks the NMDA glutamate receptor.

Donepezil vs Memantine, side by side
Sources and notes
  • The sentencefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
  • The two drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKitThe two drawings side by side.

Properties and sources

Calculated by PubChem

Molecular formula
C12H21N
Molecular weight
179.3 g/mol
XLogP3octanol/water, log units
3.3
Polar surface areatopological
26 Ų
H-bond donors
1
H-bond acceptors
1
Rotatable bonds
0
Complexity
240

Reported Hazard label (GHS), ECHA via PubChem

Warning Irritant pictogram (GHS07); hazard statements H302

Reported Licence

The US Food and Drug Administration licenses Memantine for human use (ANDA 090048, authorized April 14, 2010). Drugs@FDA

Groups it belongs to

Category
Prescription medicine
Chemical groups
Amines
Elements
Nitrogen
Hazard classes
Irritant, GHS Warning
SMILESCC12CC3CC(C1)(CC(C3)(C2)N)C

PubChem CID 4054 · Wikidata Q412189 · InChIKey BUGYDGFZZOZRHP-UHFFFAOYSA-N · Data refreshed

How MoleculeFinder sources and labels its data

Questions
What is Memantine?
A dementia medicine used for moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. It works on glutamate signalling rather than acetylcholine.
How toxic is Memantine?
Its GHS hazard label carries the signal word Warning and the hazard pictogram Irritant. from source
What kind of molecule is Memantine?
Memantine has the formula C12H21N and a molecular weight of 179.3 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it under dementia medicine, in the prescription medicine group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom sourcefrom source
Who licenses Memantine as a medicine?
The US Food and Drug Administration licenses Memantine for human use (ANDA 090048, authorized April 14, 2010). from source
Sources and notes
  • Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
  • Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA via PubChemThe label combines these classifications.
  • ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
  • Licencefrom sourceDrugs@FDARead 2026-10-21.
  • Data refreshedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder2026-11-09

Keep exploring

Compared side by side with memantineDonepezilC24H29NO3Both carry an amine group.AmantadineC10H17N
Sources and notes
  • Compared side by sidefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesA molecule we compare it with on its own page.
  • Similar in shapecomputedRDKit Morgan/TanimotoNeighbours by structural fingerprint; the sentence names the chemical groups the two share.
  • The drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKit