Tag: Stereochemistry

In the late 1970s, reports of severe cardiotoxicity and fatal outcomes associated with bupivacaine led to an intense focus on understanding its pharmacological properties and developing safer alternatives. Levobupivacaine emerged as a safer option due to fundamental differences in its chemical structure, which significantly reduces the risk of cardiac adverse effects compared to the racemic bupivacaine mixture.

Originally isolated in 1947 from the bacterium *Streptomyces venezuelae*, chloramphenicol was the first broad-spectrum antibiotic to be synthesized on a large scale, marking a significant milestone in medicinal chemistry. The distinctive chemistry of chloramphenicol, characterized by its unique molecular components, is directly responsible for its potent, albeit now restricted, antibacterial activity.