Codeine

Active ingredient description

Codeine is a centrally acting weak analgesic. Codeine exerts its effect through μ opioid receptors, although codeine has low affinity for these receptors, and its analgesic effect is due to its conversion to morphine. Codeine, particularly in combination with other analgesics such as paracetamol, has been shown to be effective in acute nociceptive pain.

Medicine classification

This medicinal substance has been classified in the anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification according to its main therapeutic use as follows:

ATC code
Group title
Classification
Codeine
R Respiratory system → R05 Cough and cold preparations → R05D Cough suppressants, excl. combinations with expectorants → R05DA Opium alkaloids and derivatives
Discover more medicines within R05DA04

Product monographs

Competent medicine agencies globally have authorized commercialization of this active ingredient according to these medication package inserts (MPIs):

Title
Type
Country
Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC)
UK

Medicines

Codeine is the active ingredient of these drugs:

Drug
Countries

Germany

Ireland

Spain

Tunisia

Germany

Germany

Germany

Singapore

Singapore

United Kingdom

Spain

Canada

France Tunisia

Spain

France

Tunisia

Ecuador

Spain

Germany

Germany

Codeine is also found within below combination drugs:

ABFLEX-4 , ACETAZONE FORTE C8 , ACTCOFED , ACTIFED COMPOUND , ACUGESIL , ACUTUSSIVE , ADOLINE FORT , AENDY , AGUD , ALGESIC PLUS , ALGICOD , ALGIDOL , ALGISEDAL , ALGOCALM , ALPHA-DOL , ALSEDYL , ALTERMOL , AMSTIL , ANALGAN CODEINE , ANALGILASA , ANALGIPLUS , ANMEN , ANTARENE CODEINE , ANTICOL COUGH , ANTIDOL 15 , ANTIPYN , ANTITUSS , APRANAX PLUS , ARACO , ARDINEX , ARISTTO , ARSECOYL , ASCODAN , ASCOMP WITH CODEINE , ASPACO , ASPALGIN , ASPRAMOL CO , ASTEFOR , B-DOL , BAILIE , BEACODYL , BEACTAFED CO , BESCOFED , BETAPYN , BIO-SED , BOLSEDYL , BROMCOLIN , BROMDINE , BROMESED , BROMETUSIN , BRONCLEER WITH CODEINE , BRONCODIN , BRONCOLIN , BRONKIN , BROSEDYL , BRUFEN PLUS , CAFFETIN , CALMYLIN , CALMYLIN ACE , CALMYLIN PSE WITH CODEINE , CAPCOD FORTE , CECOBOL , CECOL , CETAPHOS , CHLORSEDYL , CO-ALGESIC , CO-ALGIDOL , CO-CODAMOL , CO-SEDYL , CO-TIPOL , CO-TUSIN , CO-TUSIU , COBELIN , COBO , COCLEAN , COCURE , COD-EFFERALGAN , COD-PAIN , CODALGIN , CODAMIN P , CODAMOL , CODAPANE FORTE , CODASOLVE , CODATEN , CODEFEN , CODETOL , CODEX , CODEY , CODINEX , CODIPAR , CODIPRONT ET , CODIS , CODIXINE , CODOLAX , CODOLAX COMPLEX , CODOLIPRANE , CODOPLEX , CODOROL , CODOXOL , COEFFERALGAN , COFEDPO , COFETOL , COFFTIER , COFLUKON , COGESIC , COL-LERGIC , COLASED , COLESS COUGH , COLSEDYL , COLZOR , COMEPHEN , COMETIN , COMFAROL FORTE , CONDOSA , COPA-DOL , COPALIN , COPAMINE , COPHADYL , COPHADYL-E , COPHENSIN , CORIN , CORME , CORY , COSEDIN , COSEDYL , COSO , COSOTAL , COTALIN , COTIN , COUGHLAX , CROSEDYL , CUPATUSSIN , CYCODACYL , DAFALGAN CODEINE , DAMYLIN WITH CODEINE , DECOFFA , DECOL , DENTOPAIN FORTE , DEPAIN , DEPHEDRIN , DEWEAR COUGH , DEXCOFED , DIMECO , DIMETAPP-C , DIMIPROL , DINEXOL PAEDIATRIC COUGH , DIPHAGESIC , DIPHECO , DIPHETAN , DOCDOL , DOLADAMON P , DOLMEN , DOLOCATIL CODEINA , DOLODENS , DOLOMEDIL , DOLOROL FORTE , DOLVIRAN , DOXSYN , DOXY CO , DULSANA WITH CODEINE , DYNAPAYNE , ECOMET , ECOSIN , EDENA , EENDEL LIGHT , EFENDEL , EFFERALGAN CODEINE , EIONE COUGH , EMCOZIN , EMPACOD , ENTECOD , EPHCOUGH , EPHECO , EPHENDYLN , ETHICOD FORTE , EUPHON , EUROSEDYL , FACOCYL , FAMCOD , FAMISEDYL , FASCONAL , FEDAC COMPOUND , FENCO COUGH , FENCODYL , FENCOLIN COUGH , FENDIL , FENDYL , FERRALI , FESCOFED , FEVAPAR , FIORICET WITH CODEINE , FIORINAL WITH CODEINE , FIORINAL-C , FLEMEX JAT , FLUDACTIL CO , FLUDETEN , FLUTEX CO , FOLSEDYL , FORTALGIC , FRICOLIN , FULPEN , FUSTALIM , GECOL , GELONIDA , GEN-PAYNE , GERALGINE PLUS , GERALGINE-K , GO PAIN , GOBY COUGH , GROSEDYL , HOLSEDYL , IBUCOD , IBUCODE PLUS , IBUMOL FORTE , IBUPAIN FORTE , IBUVALEN DUO , IMMENSAE , INFAPAIN , JENDEL , JENDYL , KAPAKE , KENDEL , KID-EEZE , KLIPAL , KODAPON , KOLSEDYL , KONTUSSIN , KROSEDYL , KURAMOL , LAMBAR , LAVENDA , LECOL , LENADOL , LENAPAIN , LENTOGESIC , LERTUS FORTE , LINDILANE , LOLSEDYL , LONARID-N , LUDICODINE , MAXILIEF , MECODIN , MEGATUSSIC , MEPHENDYL , MEPROMOL , MEPROPAYNE , MERIDOL-D , MERSIDYL , MERSYNDOL , MERSYNDOL WITH CODEINE , MESADIN , METASIN , METHARINE , MIGRAL , MIGRALEVE , MIGRALEVE PINK , MIGRALEVE YELLOW , MONIC COUGH , MROSEDYL , MYBUCOD , MYBULEN , MYCODIN , MYPRODOL , NASEDYL , NAVOSE , NEOBRUFEN CON CODEINA , NEODINE , NEOFED , NEOLIN , NITROCOD , NOLSEDYL , NOMOPAIN , NORALGET , NORVICOL , NOVAGESIC , NOVO KLOSIDOL , NOVODOL-CO , NUCOPAIN , NUROFEN PLUS , OKODIN , OMNOPON , OPTIPYRIN , OROSEDYL , PACO , PACOFEN , PAFFEICO , PAINAMOL PLUS , PAINCODEIN , PAINRITE FORTE , PAINRITE SA , PANACO , PANACOD , PANADEINE , PANADO EXTRA , PANADO-CO , PANADOL ULTRA , PANAMAX-CO , PARACODOL , PARADOREN , PARAFIZZ CO , PARAKODIN , PARAMAX-COD , PARCODOX , PARCOTEN , PAXIDAL , PECOLIN , PEDPAIN , PHARMADOL , PHARMAGESIC , PHECOBO , PHECOMIN-N , PHENAZOL , PHENCOUGH , PHENEXPECT CD , PHENSEDYN , PHENTAGON , PHENZINCO , POCODYL , POLESEDYL , POSODIN , PRESEDYL , PRO-COTIN , PRO-PHECO , PROCODIN , PROCODINE , PROCOSED , PROCOTUSS , PRODEINE FORTE , PROLIEF PLUS , PROMEDYL-B , PROMELIX , PRONTALGINE , PROPAIN , PROPAIN CO , PROPAIN FORTE , PROPHENIN ELIXIR , PROSEDIN , PROSEDINE , PROSEDYL , PROSODIN , PULMOCODEINA PLUS , PYNMED , PYNMED PAIN AND FEVER , PYNSTOP , QUENCOL , RECIPECT , RESDOL , RESTAPYN , ROBAXACET-8 , ROBAXISAL C , ROMPALGINE , RROSEDYL , SECOLIN-F , SEDAPAIN , SEDINOL , SEDYLIN , SENDY , SINUGESIC CO , SINUPAIN , SINUSTOP JUNIOR , SOLPADEINE , SOLPADEINE FORTE , SOLPADEINE MIGRAINE , SOLPADOL , SOLSEDYL COUGH , SPECTRAPAIN , SPECTRAPAIN FORTE , STILPANE , STOPALGIC CODEINE , STOPAYNE , SUNSEDYL , SUPHENIN , SUPRAGESIC , SURSEDYL , SURTUSSIN , SYNALEVE , SYNALEVE PAEDIATRIC , SYNDOL , SYNDOL HEADACHE RELIEF , TACHIDOL , TALVOSILEN , TEMSALJIN , TENSOLVE , TENSOPYN , TENSOPYN PAEDIATRIC , TENSOPYN RX , TENSTON SA , TERMALDINA , TITRETTA , TOLSEDYL , TOUSEDYL , TRIATEC-30 , TRICOS COUGH , TRIFEN EXPECT , TRIPOFED , TROSEDYL , TUCOSOL , TUCOUSOL , TUSIGEN , TUSINCO , TUSOCALM , TUSSIPAX , TUSSORAL , TUXARIN , TUZISTRA XR , TYLENOL WITH CODEINE , TYLEX , U-CODOBEX , U-PHENCO , ULTRACOD , ULTRAMOL , UNI-CODPLEX , UNI-COLIN , UNI-FEDRA COMPOUND , UNIDRYL CD , UNIFLU WITH GREGOVITE C , UNISEDYL FORTE , VACUDOL , VACUDOL FORTE , VANDAFU , VARIPAN CO , VEGANIN , VEGANIN 3 , VERMIDON-K , VICKOLAX , VICODIL , VIGASPIR , VOLSEDYL COUGH , WINSEDYL , XOLSEDYL , ZAPAIN , ZECOL COUGH , ZEROPYN , ZEUSEFF , ZOLLAR , ZURITUSS

Structural formula

Graphic representation of the active ingredient's molecular structure

Chemical formula: C₁₈H₂₁NO₃
Molecular mass: 299.364 g/mol

External identifiers

CAS Substance: 41444-62-6
CAS Substance: 52-28-8
DrugBank Drug: DB00318
KEGG Drug: D03580
PubChem Compound: 5284371
RxNorm Ingredient: 2670
SNOMED-CT Concept: 387494007
Codeine (substance)
UNII Identifier: GSL05Y1MN6
CODEINE PHOSPHATE
UNII Identifier: Q830PW7520
CODEINE