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menthol (Nopika / menthol, Vinas)

✓ Approved

Vinas · Small Molecule · Small Molecule

What is menthol?

menthol is a small molecule developed by Vinas. It is approved for therapeutic indications via topical.

Drug Profile

Brand NamesNopika, menthol, Vinas
CompanyVinas
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
RouteTopical
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Vinas

Therapeutic Indications

menthol is developed for 1 unique indication across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disordersPruritus✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedPharmaceutics2026-08-27

Acute Tear Secretion Response to Menthol Delivered as a Vapor to the Eye: A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial.

Vieth Reinhold R, Griffiths Christine C, Rapson Linda M LM

Menthol is an agonist of TRPM8 receptors that activates tear secretion. Objectives: The hypothesis was that menthol delivered to the cornea in vapor form could stimulate tear secretion without irritation. Methods: This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of menthol vapor. Thirty generally healthy participants were randomized to the treatment or placebo group. Results: Median age was 58 (43, 73 IQR) years, 18 participants (60%) were female; 12 (40%) were male. Tear weight exceeded 5 mg in 2 (13.3%) of the placebo group, versus 13 (86.7%) of the menthol group (p = 0.020). Median weight of tears wiped from below the eye in the placebo group was 3 (-1, 8 IQR) mg versus 13 (8, 35 IQR) mg in the menthol group (p = 0.002). Nasolacrimal drainage in the placebo group weighed 10 (4,12 IQR) mg versus 56 (22, 173 IQR) mg in the menthol group (p < 0.001). The treated right eye felt qualitatively moister than the untreated left eye in 7 (47%) of the placebo group, versus 15 (100%) of the menthol group (p = 0.002). No participant reported eye irritation or any adverse effects at the one-week follow-up. Conclusions: Menthol delivered to the eye as vapor evoked tear secretion without eye irritation. Menthol vapor warrants further study as a complementary treatment or an alternative to eye drops for dry eye disease.

PMID 42654027
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PubMedPathogens (Basel, Switzerland)2026-08-27

Impact of E-Liquids on Phagocytosis, Escape and Invasion of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Tabakha Maya M, Shah Raivat R, Tomov Sophie S, Amram Juliette R JR et al.

This study seeks to understand the effects of electronic cigarettes on the oral microenvironment. Macrophages are paramount in the oral innate immune response against pathogens. Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative bacterium that invades oral epithelial cells, escapes phagocytosis and is associated with the progression of periodontitis. We hypothesize that e-liquid treatments enhance P. gingivalis's escape from post-macrophage phagocytosis and subsequent invasion into oral epithelial cells. THP-1-derived macrophages were polarized to M1 ± 1% e-liquids (±menthol or cinnamon). The M1 cellular morphology and surface area were determined after e-liquid treatments. Escherichia coli or P. gingivalis were added to M1 macrophages ± e-liquids. Phagocytosis and escape were determined by multiple assays. After e-liquid treatments and phagocytosis, OKF6/TERT-2 cells (oral epithelial cells) were exposed to M1 macrophages with intracellular P. gingivalis to evaluate escape and invasion. The results show that cinnamon e-liquids alter M1 morphology by diminishing pseudopodia extensions and actin stress fibers, which persist after a second polarization attempt. Phagocytosis of P. gingivalis by e-liquid-treated macrophages also decreases. Furthermore, P. gingivalis absolute escape and OKF6/TERT-2 cell invasion increase after menthol and cinnamon e-liquid treatments, respectively. Thus, following e-liquid exposure, phagocytosis and retention of P. gingivalis deteriorate.

PMID 42654808
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PubMedBrain and cognition2026-08-25

Perceived valence of ambient odor is associated with listening comprehension and subjective effort but not Fronto-parietal alpha connectivity.

Coeugnet Marine R MR, Nordén Frans F, Yenigün Zeynep Z, Lundström Johan N JN et al.

Ambient odors are pervasive features of everyday environments, yet their influence on cognition and its neural mechanisms remains poorly understood. We investigated whether the perceived hedonic valence of an ambient odor modulates comprehension, perceived cognitive effort, and fronto-parietal alpha-band connectivity during a naturalistic listening task. Twenty-one healthy adults were exposed to three ambient odorants (menthol, triethyl citrate, cadaverine), with odor order held constant, while listening to audiobooks, with EEG recorded throughout. After each condition, comprehension and perceived effort were measured with a dedicated test and the NASA-TLX questionnaire. Fronto-parietal alpha coherence was computed using magnitude-squared coherence between frontal and parietal electrodes. Treating perceived valence as a continuous subjective predictor in linear mixed-effects models, we found that higher perceived valence was associated with better comprehension (p = .034) and lower perceived effort (p = .016). Fronto-parietal alpha coherence was not modulated by perceived valence (p = .761). These findings show that post-condition perceived odor pleasantness is associated with sustained listening both behaviorally and subjectively, while this association is not accompanied by detectable changes in fronto-parietal alpha synchronization in this sample. They highlight the need for future studies with larger samples and more sensitive neural markers to better capture the underlying mechanisms.

PMID 42641200
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PubMedVeterinary research forum : an international quarterly journal2026-08-21

Calcium channel blocking activity as a mechanism of the spasmolytic effect of menthol on isolated bovine ileum.

Rajabzadeh Zahra Z, Maham Masoud M, Najarnezhad Vahid V, Dalir-Naghadeh Bahram B et al.

Menthol is an organic compound commonly derived from mint oils, known for its cooling and soothing properties, often used in various pharmaceutical, cosmetic and therapeutic applications. It exerts beneficial effects on the digestive system by relaxing smooth muscles, reducing spasms and improving gastrointestinal motility. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of menthol on bovine ileal smooth muscle contractions in vitro. Ileal tissue segments were collected from adult cattle at an abattoir and subsequently immersed in 25.00 mL organ baths containing Tyrode's solution. The baths were maintained at 37.00 ˚C and continuously aerated with a gas mixture of 95.00% O2 and 5.00% CO2. The tissues were subjected to various contractile agents, including potassium chloride at concentrations of 30.00 and 80.00 mM, carbachol chloride at 1.00 and 4.00 μM and barium chloride at 30.00 mM. Menthol was cumulatively applied in incremental concentrations to assess its modulatory effects on contraction amplitude. Results demonstrated that menthol elicited a dose-dependent inhibition of smooth muscle contractions across most stimulatory conditions with the extent of inhibition varying among different stimuli. The Ca2+ channel blocking activity was further confirmed when pre-treatment of isolated ileums with menthol (23.00 and 200 μg mL-1) caused a rightward shift in the Ca2+ concentration-response curves, similar to verapamil. These findings suggested that menthol spasmolytic action might be mediated through the modulation and inhibition of calcium channels. In conclusion, menthol effectively attenuated bovine ileal smooth muscle contractions in vitro, indicating its potential as a natural therapeutic agent for controlling gastrointestinal hyperactivity in cattle.

PMID 42626683
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PubMedFood research international (Ottawa, Ont.)2026-08-21

Understanding the impact of cooling and warming compounds on in-mouth aroma release from flavoured aqueous systems: the unexpected effect of menthol.

Hill Laura L, Harris Rhedd R, Dinu Vlad V, Slomka Vera V et al.

Menthol and capsaicin, known for their distinctive cooling and warming trigeminal sensations, respectively, are widely utilised as food flavour ingredients globally. Despite their well-documented effects on sensory perception, the impact of these compounds, individually and in combination, on in-mouth aroma release remains poorly understood. In this study, four flavoured aqueous model systems were formulated with either capsaicin, menthol, or in combination to compare against a control. Each model system contained five aroma compounds selected with diverse physicochemical properties: butyl formate, ethyl butyrate, isoamyl acetate, limonene and citral. The in vitro results of static and dynamic headspace analysis by atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) showed no impact of capsaicin or menthol on the gas-liquid partitioning equilibria of the aroma compounds. While capsaicin had no significant impact on in-mouth aroma release from 20 healthy participants, the presence of menthol significantly increased the average maximum aroma release (Imax) of ethyl butyrate, citral and limonene to 130%, 113% and 184% respectively, compared to the control (100%). The results of area under curve (AUC) indicated that the total in-mouth release of limonene released from the capsaicin system was similar to the control at 108%, but a dramatic increase to 225% was observed in the menthol system. This significant increase was also observed in the menthol system for citral and butyl formate to 125% and 144% respectively. For the first time, this study demonstrated that menthol significantly enhanced the persistence of in-mouth aroma release, offering valuable insight into its application in the flavour, oral care and food industries.

PMID 42629053
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PubMedJournal of pain & palliative care pharmacotherapy2026-08-21

Topical Menthol Cream for Refractory Localized Neuropathic Pain: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Treillet Erwan E, Delmotte Marie Hélène MH, Hadjiat Yacine Y, Moreau Nathan N et al.

To assess the real-world effectiveness and tolerability of stepwise titration with compounded topical menthol in refractory localized neuropathic pain. We conducted a multicenter retrospective chart review in two French pain centers between March 2022 and September 2023. Adults with localized neuropathic pain, baseline pain intensity >4/10, DN4 ≥ 4, and previous treatment failure or intolerance received pharmacy-compounded menthol cream titrated from 1% to 10% over approximately 60 days. The primary endpoint was responder rate at the final concentration used, defined as ≥30% reduction in numerical rating scale pain intensity and/or ≥30% self-reported pain relief. Twenty-one patients were analyzed; 76% were women and 71% had chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Mean pain intensity decreased from 6.83 at baseline to 4.82 at 10%, with significant improvement from 3% onward. At 10%, 12/21 patients met the response criterion. Treatment was generally well tolerated, with mostly mild transient local adverse effects. Progressively titrated topical menthol up to 10% may be a practical, accessible, and well-tolerated option for refractory localized neuropathic pain when systemic therapies are ineffective or poorly tolerated. These exploratory findings support titration-based use and warrant randomized placebo-controlled studies to confirm efficacy, refine dosing, and identify responder phenotypes.

PMID 42627361
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