SHEET /vs/losartan-vs-valsartan · COMPARISON
Losartan vs Valsartan: what is the difference?
How they differ
Both are angiotensin receptor blockers that keep angiotensin II from acting on its receptor, and they differ mainly in pharmacokinetics. Losartan is a prodrug in part: the liver converts some of it into a metabolite that is considerably more active than the parent, so its effect depends on that conversion. Valsartan is active as given. Losartan also has a mild uric-acid lowering effect that the rest of the class does not share, which is a genuinely distinctive property. Valsartan is the heavier at 435.5 against 422.9 and carries a carboxylic acid where losartan carries an alcohol. Both are prescription medicines and both belong to a class that came out of a large recall over nitrosamine contamination in the late 2010s.
Side by side
| Losartan | Valsartan | |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | C22H23ClN6O | C24H29N5O3 |
| Molecular weight | 422.9 g/mol | 435.5 g/mol |
| Family | Blood-pressure medicines | Blood-pressure medicines |
| Everyday group | Prescription medicine | Prescription medicine |
| Functional groups | Alcohols, Aromatics, Halogenated | Carboxylic Acids, Aromatics, Amides |
| GHS signal wordThe supplier-filed hazard label, not a statement about ordinary use. | Danger | Danger |
| CAS number | 114798-26-4 | 137862-53-4 |
| PubChem CID | 3961 | 60846 |
Structural similarity 0.44 of 1, computed as a Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto coefficient. It measures shape, not effect.
Common questions
- What is the difference between Losartan and Valsartan?
- Both are angiotensin receptor blockers that keep angiotensin II from acting on its receptor, and they differ mainly in pharmacokinetics. Losartan is a prodrug in part: the liver converts some of it into a metabolite that is considerably more active than the parent, so its effect depends on that conversion. Valsartan is active as given.
- Is Losartan bigger than Valsartan?
- Valsartan is the heavier molecule, 435.5 g/mol against 422.9 g/mol for Losartan. Losartan is C22H23ClN6O and Valsartan is C24H29N5O3.