Metformin
Also called DMBG and dimethylbiguanide.
The first-line medicine for type 2 diabetes, descended from a compound in the goat's rue plant. It is a tiny molecule: four carbons and five nitrogens.
Sources and notes
- The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Other namesfrom sourceWikidataIts English label and aliases on 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 carbon bonded to three nitrogens, one of them by a double bond, the same group the amino acid arginine carries. Its N-H groups form hydrogen bonds readily.
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
Metformin is a tiny molecule that cuts glucose production in the liver, while semaglutide is a copy of the gut hormone GLP-1 that also curbs appetite.
Metformin vs Semaglutide, side by sideSources and notes
- The sentencefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
Properties and sources
Calculated by PubChem
- Molecular formula
- C4H11N5
- Molecular weight
- 129.16 g/mol
- XLogP3octanol/water, log units
- −1.3
- Polar surface areatopological
- 91.5 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 3
- H-bond acceptors
- 1
- Rotatable bonds
- 2
- Complexity
- 132
Measured LD50, HSDB via PubChem
1,000 mg/kg pure metformin, rat, oral
An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person.
Reported Hazard label (GHS), ECHA, HSDB via PubChem
Warning Irritant pictogram (GHS07); hazard statements H302, H315, H319
Reported Licence
The US Food and Drug Administration licenses Metformin for human use (ANDA 075972, authorized January 24, 2002). Drugs@FDA
Groups it belongs to
- Category
- Prescription medicine
- Family
- Diabetes medicines
- Chemical groups
- Amines
- Elements
- Nitrogen
- Hazard classes
- Irritant, GHS Warning
CN(C)C(=N)N=C(N)NPubChem CID 4091 · Wikidata Q19484 · InChIKey XZWYZXLIPXDOLR-UHFFFAOYSA-N · Data refreshed
Questions
- What is Metformin?
- The first-line medicine for type 2 diabetes, descended from a compound in the goat's rue plant. It is a tiny molecule: four carbons and five nitrogens.
- How toxic is Metformin?
- The reported LD50 of Metformin is 1,000 mg/kg (rat, oral). An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person. Its GHS hazard label carries the signal word Warning and the hazard pictogram Irritant. from sourcefrom source
- What kind of molecule is Metformin?
- Metformin has the formula C4H11N5 and a molecular weight of 129.16 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it under diabetes medicines, in the prescription medicine group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom sourcefrom source
- What else is Metformin called?
- Metformin is also called DMBG and dimethylbiguanide. from source
- Who licenses Metformin as a medicine?
- The US Food and Drug Administration licenses Metformin for human use (ANDA 075972, authorized January 24, 2002). from source
Sources and notes
- Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
- LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChemOther values the sources report: mouse, intravenous, 180 mg/kg; rat, another route, 300 mg/kg; mouse, another route, 620 mg/kg. The page shows the one LD50 the site uses everywhere.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, HSDB 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
Sources and notes
- Compared side by sidefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesA molecule we compare it with on its own page.