r-ibuprofen

**(R)-ibuprofen** is the R-enantiomer (also called the distomer) of ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) derived from propionic acid. Ibuprofen is usually administered as a racemic (1:1) mixture of its S- and R- enantiomers. While the S-enantiomer ((S)-ibuprofen, also called dexibuprofen) is responsible for the pharmacological (anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic) effects, the R-enantiomer has little direct therapeutic activity. However, in the body, (R)-ibuprofen can undergo conversion (chiral inversion) to the active (S)-enantiomer via an isomerase enzyme (alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase). Direct administration of pure (R)-ibuprofen is rare, as most clinical formulations contain the racemic mixture or the pure S-enantiomer for therapeutic effect.

Other names

(R)-ibuprofen