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newest 2006spec sheet8 rows
Barusiban is a peptide oxytocin receptor antagonist developed by Ferring Pharmaceuticals as a potential tocolytic (labor-suppressing) treatment for preterm labor. It showed strong preclinical promise but failed to outperform placebo in a human trial and was not pursued further.
- Highly selective, long-acting blocker of oxytocin-driven uterine contractions
- More potent and longer-lasting than the approved drug atosiban in animal models
- Not associated with adverse safety findings in its human trial
Overview
A more potent, longer-acting cousin of the approved drug atosiban; worked beautifully in monkeys but didn't hold up in a real obstetrics trial.
Mechanism
Barusiban is a selective at the oxytocin receptor, blocking oxytocin from binding and triggering the calcium signaling cascade in the uterine muscle (myometrium) that drives contractions. It has roughly 300 times higher affinity for the human oxytocin receptor than for the related vasopressin V1A receptor, giving it good selectivity. Compared with atosiban, the first approved oxytocin antagonist, barusiban was three to four times more potent and had a much longer duration of action (more than 13 to 15 hours versus 1 to 3 hours for atosiban).
receptor fingerprint
Oxytocin receptorAntagonist
Safetyrisks and cautions, not medical advice
In nonhuman primate models, barusiban effectively suppressed oxytocin-induced preterm-labor-like contractions and prevented early delivery. However, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 163 women with threatened preterm labor at 34 to almost 36 weeks gestation found that a single intravenous bolus of barusiban, at doses from 0.3 to 10 mg, did not reduce uterine contractions or improve the proportion of women who avoided delivery within 48 hours compared with placebo. It was not associated with adverse effects in the mother, fetus, neonate, or infant, but the lack of efficacy ended its development.
Subjective profileweighing the evidence above
An honest negative result. It was more selective and longer-lasting than the approved oxytocin blocker in animals, then did nothing for preterm labor in women, with no safety problem to blame. Development stopped there, and there is no reason to revisit it.
Resources
This entry is here for reference.
Research
- 1.Barusiban, an effective long-term treatment of oxytocin-induced preterm labor in nonhuman primates
- 2.Barusiban, a new highly potent and long-acting oxytocin antagonist: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic comparison with atosiban in a cynomolgus monkey model of preterm labor
2 listed here; entry last updated July 2026
Reviews
My notesprivate to this device
FAQ
What is Barusiban used for?
It was developed as a possible treatment to delay preterm labor by blocking the hormone oxytocin from triggering uterine contractions. It is not used clinically because it failed to beat placebo in a human trial.
How does Barusiban work?
It selectively blocks the oxytocin receptor in the uterine muscle, preventing oxytocin from triggering the calcium signaling that causes contractions.
Is Barusiban well-researched?
It has solid preclinical research, including nonhuman primate studies, plus at least one randomized controlled human trial, making it better documented than most compounds in this class despite never reaching the market.
Limitations of the evidence
- Failed to outperform placebo for stopping preterm labor in a randomized human trial
- Development was discontinued after disappointing efficacy results
Notes and cautions
- Never approved or marketed as a result