A: Alimentary tract and metabolism
ATC group A for modelers: the level 2 map with example drugs, and modeling notes held with A10 (diabetes) and A02 (acid-related disorders).
Drugs acting on the gut, on metabolism and on nutrition, from mouthwashes to insulins. Modeling notes live with the subgroups they belong to: A10, drugs used in diabetes, and A02, drugs for acid related disorders.
In January 1922 a first pancreatic extract given to Leonard Thompson, 14 and ketoacidotic at Toronto General Hospital, left a sterile abscess and barely moved his glycemia. Collip’s purified extract on 23 January cleared the ketonuria [1].
| Level 2 code | Description | In plain terms | Example drug |
|---|---|---|---|
| A01 | Stomatological preparations | of the mouth and teeth | Chlorhexidine (A01AB03) / sodium fluoride (A01AA01) |
| A02 | Drugs for acid related disorders | Omeprazole (A02BC01) / pantoprazole (A02BC02) | |
| A03 | Drugs for functional gastrointestinal disorders | gut cramp and motility problems without structural disease | Metoclopramide (A03FA01) / butylscopolamine (A03BB01) |
| A04 | Antiemetics and antinauseants | stop vomiting and nausea | Ondansetron (A04AA01) / aprepitant (A04AD12) |
| A05 | Bile and liver therapy | Ursodeoxycholic acid (A05AA02) / obeticholic acid (A05AA04) | |
| A06 | Drugs for constipation | Macrogol (A06AD15) / lactulose (A06AD11) | |
| A07 | Antidiarrheals, intestinal antiinflammatory/antiinfective agents | Mesalazine (A07EC02) / loperamide (A07DA03) | |
| A08 | Antiobesity preparations, excl. diet products | Orlistat (A08AB01) / bupropion and naltrexone (A08AA62) | |
| A09 | Digestives, incl. enzymes | replace missing digestive enzymes | Pancreatin, indexed as multienzymes (A09AA02) |
| A10 | Drugs used in diabetes | Metformin (A10BA02) / dapagliflozin (A10BK01) | |
| A11 | Vitamins | Colecalciferol (A11CC05) / thiamine (A11DA01) | |
| A12 | Mineral supplements | Calcium carbonate (A12AA04) / potassium chloride (A12BA01) | |
| A13 | Tonics | old general-strengthening preparations, not evidence-based | No substance to name: A13A carries no level 5 substances, a residual historical category. |
| A14 | Anabolic agents for systemic use | tissue-building steroids acting body-wide | Nandrolone (A14AB01) / oxandrolone (A14AA08) |
| A15 | Appetite stimulants | No substance to name: A15 is subdivided no further and holds no substances or DDDs. | |
| A16 | Other alimentary tract and metabolism products | leftovers: mostly rare inherited metabolic disease drugs | Nitisinone (A16AX04) / sapropterin (A16AX07) |
References
[1]
Vecchio I, Tornali C, Bragazzi NL, Martini M. The Discovery of Insulin: An Important Milestone in the History of Medicine. Front Endocrinol 2018;9:613. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2018.00613.