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Clinical data | |
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AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a682651 |
Pregnancy category |
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Routes of administration | Topical |
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Pharmacokinetic data | |
Protein binding | 91% |
Metabolism | Hepatic cytochrome P-450 oxygenase system |
Elimination half-life | 18 hours |
Identifiers | |
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Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C6H6Cl6 |
Molar mass | 290.81 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
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Lindane is a medication and agricultural insecticide.[2] As a medication it is used to treat lice and scabies.[3]
Lindane is a neurotoxin that interferes with GABA neurotransmitter function by interacting with the GABAA receptor-chloride channel complex at the picrotoxin binding site. In humans, lindane affects the nervous system, liver, and kidneys, and may well be a carcinogen.[4][5] Whether lindane is an endocrine disruptor is unclear.[6][7][8] It is an organochlorine and an isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane.
The World Health Organization classifies lindane as "moderately hazardous", and its international trade is restricted and regulated under the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent.[9] In 2009, the production and agricultural use of lindane was banned under the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants.[1][10] A specific exemption to that ban allows it to continue to be used as a second-line pharmaceutical treatment for lice and scabies.[11]