During the last several years, a great deal of pharmaceutical research has focused on the use of fluorinated compounds In fact, by around 1990, approximately 220 fluorinated pharmaceuticals were in use, comprising nearly 8% of the synthetic drug market. Since that time the use of fluorinated pharmaceuticals has increased rapidly. These fluorinated compounds play an increasingly important role in the modern pharmaceutical industry, and currently an estimated 30% to 50% of all pharmaceutical products contain fluorinated chemicals.
Current Pharmaceutical Uses of Fluorinated Compounds
Fluorinated compounds are present in a wide variety of pharmaceutical products, including the following types of products:
- General anesthetics
- Antacids
- Anti-fungal drugs and antibiotics
- Antidepressants, anti-psychotics, and anti-anxiety medications
- Steroids and anti-inflammatory agents
- Anti-malarial drugs
- Cholesterol-lowering agents
- Chemotherapeutic agents for cancer treatment
A Closer Look at Some Common Pharmaceutical Applications
Two of the most commonly-prescribed antidepressants contain fluorinated...