RESEARCH MONOGRAPH · KDC-MN-020
Fladrafinil
Fladrafinil is the fluorinated cousin of adrafinil from the same Lafon series. It is a prodrug that the liver converts to flmodafinil. Sparse pharmacology data suggest similar profile to flmodafinil with slightly shorter onset. Not stocked by Kodiac. This monograph is provided for research and educational reference.
Intrigue 0–100 blends mechanism novelty, evidence strength, and translational potential. Kodiac editorial, not peer-reviewed.
Eugeroic prodrug / fluoro-analog of adrafinil
A bisfluoro-substituted adrafinil analog (CRL-40,941) reported in early Lafon literature for elevated alpha-2 adrenergic involvement.
Abstract
Fladrafinil (CRL-40,941; molecular formula C15H13F2NO3S; molecular weight 325.33) is a bisfluoro-substituted analog of adrafinil developed at Laboratoire Lafon in the same series as flmodafinil. The structural relationship to adrafinil mirrors the flmodafinil-modafinil relationship: two fluorine atoms positioned para on each phenyl ring, a hydroxylamide nitrogen on the acetamide group. The compound is a prodrug that is hepatically hydrolyzed to flmodafinil and the corresponding fluorinated acid metabolite. Published preclinical work from the Lafon program in the 1980s reported anti-aggressive activity in addition to wakefulness promotion, with the anti-aggressive effect attributed to alpha-2 adrenergic engagement that may be more prominent than in adrafinil. The compound did not advance to clinical development. There is no human clinical trial record and no regulatory approval. Plasma half-life of the parent compound is short (1 to 2 hours in rodents); the active metabolite flmodafinil drives the long-duration wakefulness phenotype. The research literature reports dose ranges correspondingly higher than flmodafinil itself. The same hepatic safety considerations as adrafinil apply: prodrug hydrolysis generates a fluorinated acid metabolite that may accumulate, and the metabolic pathway has not been characterized in long-term studies. Research-grade vendor reports describe ranges of approximately 150 to 600 mg associated with a flmodafinil-like wakefulness profile, but dose-response data are sparse.
Mechanism of action
Prodrug; cleaved hepatically to flmodafinil. Anti-aggressive component of activity attributed to alpha-2 adrenergic engagement noted in early Lafon literature.
Reported research dose ranges
Research-grade reports describe ranges of approximately 150 to 600 mg; sparse preclinical data.
References
- Lafon laboratoire internal series, summarized in early modafinil-class structural reviews.
- Milgram NW. Adrafinil: a novel vigilance promoting agent. CNS Drug Rev 1995.
Read the full monograph
The full reference document covers compound identification, discovery and developmental history, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, reported research dose ranges, sourcing and quality verification, reconstitution and handling, stack interaction considerations, and a curated reference list. Available as a research-use-only PDF download.
The full reference document is provided strictly for research use only. It reports research dose ranges from the published literature, not instructions for use in humans or animals.
FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. Not for medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic purposes. Not for human consumption. All information is provided for research and educational purposes only.