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Γ-Amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid

pair of isomers

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 27, 2026
Entity authorityQ5520257 ↗
Source-derived summary

γ-Amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid (GABOB), also known as β-hydroxy-γ-aminobutyric acid (β-hydroxy-GABA), sold under the brand name Gamibetal among others, is an anticonvulsant which is used for the treatment of epilepsy in Europe, Japan, and Mexico. It is a GABA analogue, or an analogue of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and has been found to be an endogenous metabolite of GABA.

Medical uses

GABOB is an anticonvulsant and is used in the treatment of epilepsy.

Pharmacology

GABOB is a GABA receptor agonist. It has two stereoisomers, and shows stereoselectivity in its actions. Specifically, (R)-(–)-GABOB is a moderate-potency agonist of the GABAB receptor, while (S)-(+)-GABOB is a partial agonist of the GABAB receptor and an agonist of the GABAA receptor. (S)-(+)-GABOB is around twice as potent an anticonvulsant as (R)-(–)-GABOB. GABOB is used medically as a racemic mixture.

Relative to GABA, GABOB has more potent inhibitory effects on the central nervous system, perhaps due to its greater capacity to cross the blood–brain barrier. However, GABOB is of relatively low potency as an anticonvulsant when used by itself, and is more useful as an adjuvant treatment used alongside another anticonvulsant.

Chemistry

GABOB, or β-hydroxy-GABA, is a close structural analogue of GABA (see GABA analogue), as well as of γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), phenibut (β-phenyl-GABA), baclofen (β-(4-chlorophenyl)-GABA), and pregabalin (β-isobutyl-GABA).

Society and culture

Generic name

GABOB has been referred to by the generic name buxamine or buxamina.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Γ-Amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid” as pair of isomers. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current 230-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Γ-Amino-β-hydroxybutyric, acid and pair can be independently traced.
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The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as pair of isomers. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5520257. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Γ-Amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.