Ebastine is a chemical compound consisting of 1-(4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)-4-(4-hydroxypiperidin-1-yl)butan-1-one (5.1.9) in a rather complex preliminary chemical process, which takes place in several steps and involves sodium bicarbonate, methyl isobutyl ketone and potassium iodide. Subsequently, benzhydryl bromide and sodium carbonate are used to obtain the finished product.
It appears as a white powder, insoluble in water, soluble in dichloromethane, slightly soluble in methanol, highly permeable in the lipid membrane.

What it is used for and where

Medical

Take only under medical supervision

Ebastine is a member of the class of drugs called selective non-sedating inhibitors of the histamine H1 receptor. Its action involves bronchi, blood capillaries and some smooth muscles, a receptor antagonist with an oxypiperidine structure, the active form of which is the metabolite carebastine.

Histamine is an important mediator of allergy symptoms that generally acts via the H₁ receptor, is released during the initial phase of the immune response, and the treatment of choice for allergic conditions are H₁ antihistamines, which tend to stabilise the H₁ receptor in its inactive form. H₁ antihistamines, which stabilise the receptor in its inactive form, are recognised as the primary treatment in international guidelines for treating urticaria and allergic rhinitis.

Among the second-generation H₁-type antihistamines, Ebastine has been marketed worldwide since 1990 for the treatment of urticaria and allergic rhinitis, has no sedative activity, and is long-acting. It is also effective against motion sickness. The dosage form is generally the solid tablet in which flavourings may be present to improve the taste and 'superdisintegrants', e.g. Povidone, may be present to aid dissolution and increase water absorption.

In an in vitro study in nasal polyp cells, ebastine inhibited anti-IgE-induced release of leukotrienes C4/D4 and prostaglandin D2 (P<.05). It also inhibited tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin 8 caused by the release of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (1). Among the various antihistamines on the market, it is also worth noting that ebastine showed superior effects to carebastine. 

A recent study by researchers from University Centres in Huston, New York and Chicago, USA, based on the examination of Polycomb group proteins, chromatin and the transcriptional suppressor methylating H3, found that treatment with ebastine effectively reduced the progression and growth of breast cancer and improved progression-free survival. Thus, from these results, ebastine may prove to be a promising therapy for tumours with EZH mutations or overexpression carriers (2). 

To summarise, ebastine can be useful in:

• Allergy treatment. Ebastine is used to alleviate allergy symptoms such as itching, sneezing, and nasal congestion.
• Reduction of allergic reactions. Ebastine acts by blocking histamine receptors in the body, thereby reducing allergic reactions.
• Urticaria treatment. Ebastine can also be used to treat urticaria, a condition characterized by itchy and inflamed skin rashes.

The most relevant studies on this chemical compound have been selected with a summary of their contents:

    Ebastine studies

Price

10 mg     $236.00

50 mg     $938.00

• Molecular Formula    C₃₂H₃₉NO₂
• Molecular Weight    469.7
• Exact Mass     469.298065
• CAS  90729-43-4
• UNII    TQD7Q784P1
• EC Number   635-609-6
• DSSTox Substance ID  DTXSID6046472
• IUPAC  4-(4-benzhydryloxypiperidin-1-yl)-1-(4-tert-butylphenyl)butan-1-one
• InChI=1S/C32H39NO2/c1-32(2,3)28-18-16-25(17-19-28)30(34)15-10-22-33-23-20-29(21-24-33)35-31(26-11-6-4-7-12-26)27-13-8-5-9-14-27/h4-9,11-14,16-19,29,31H,10,15,20-24H2,1-3H3
• InChl Key      MJJALKDDGIKVBE-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• SMILES  

          CC(C)(C)C1=CC=C(C=C1)C(=O)CCCN2CCC(CC2)OC(C3=CC=CC=C3)C4=CC=CC=C4

• MDL number   MFCD00865661
• PubChem Substance ID    329799086
• ChEBI  31528
• NACRES NA.77
• RTECS   EL8140000
• RIDAR   NONH 

Synonyms

• 4-(4-benzhydryloxypiperidin-1-yl)-1-(4-tert-butylphenyl)butan-1-one
• Ebastel
• 4-[4-(Diphenylmethoxy)-1-piperidinyl]-1-[4-(2-methyl-2-propanyl)phenyl]-1-butanone
• Estivan
• 4-Diphenylmethoxy-1-[3-(4-tert-butylbenzoyl)propyl]piperidine
• 4'-tert-Butyl-4-[4-(diphenylmethoxy)piperidino]butyrophenone

References______________________________________________________________________

(1) Campbell A, Michel FB, Bremard-Oury C, Crampette L, Bousquet J. Overview of allergic mechanisms. Ebastine has more than an antihistamine effect. Drugs. 1996;52 Suppl 1:15-9. doi: 10.2165/00003495-199600521-00005.

(2) Li Q, Liu KY, Liu Q, Wang G, Jiang W, Meng Q, Yi Y, Yang Y, Wang R, Zhu S, Li C, Wu L, Zhao D, Yan L, Zhang L, Kim JS, Zu X, Kozielski AJ, Qian W, Chang JC, Patnaik A, Chen K, Cao Q. Antihistamine Drug Ebastine Inhibits Cancer Growth by Targeting Polycomb Group Protein EZH2. Mol Cancer Ther. 2020 Oct;19(10):2023-2033. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-20-0250.