Drug

Nitrous Oxide

Regulatory activity · MHRA

Emerging researchLate-stage development

Also known as Dinitrogen monoxide, Dinitrogen oxide, Laughing gas, N2O+4 more

Dinitrogen monoxide, Dinitrogen oxide, Laughing gas, N2O, N2O - nitrous oxide, óxido nitroso, Nitrious oxide, Nitrous oxide gas.

RxNorm7486 ChEMBLCHEMBL1234579 ATCN01AX13 ATCN01AX63UNIIK50XQU1029

Research papers

Active clinical trials

Regulatory events

Latest activity

beta

Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this drug.

Cost-effective abatement of industrial sources of nitrous oxide with methane for urgent climate mitigation

Industry2026-07-24Nature — Climate Sciences

Cost-effective abatement of industrial sources of nitrous oxide with methane for urgent climate mitigation

Industry2026-07-24Nature — Environmental Sciences

Functional MRI of Nitrous Oxide Inhalation in Volunteer Subjects

Clinical trial2026-06-04Results expected Q3 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

NMDA Receptor Antagonist Nitrous Oxide Targets Affective Brain Circuits

Clinical trial2026-04-29Results expected Q2 2027 · ClinicalTrials.gov

Success Rate of Intracervical Balloon Placement With Nitrous Oxide Administration. A Randomized Control Study

Clinical trial2026-03-30Withdrawn · ClinicalTrials.gov

Self-Adjusted Nitrous Oxide: A Feasibility Study in the Setting of Vasectomy

Clinical trial2026-02-06Results expected Q1 2027 · ClinicalTrials.gov

Anxiolysis for Laceration Repair in Children: A Multicenter Adaptive Randomized Trial

Clinical trial2025-12-31Primary completion · ClinicalTrials.gov

Adjunctive Nitrous Oxide for Acute Suicidal Ideation in Unipolar Depressed Hospitalized Patients

Clinical trial2025-12-22Results expected Q3 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

Treatment of Suicidal Ideation in the Emergency Department Using Nitrous Oxide - PROTORISC Pilote

Clinical trial2025-12-01Primary completion · ClinicalTrials.gov

A Single-Blind Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial of Self-Adjusted Nitrous Oxide During Office Vasectomy

Clinical trial2025-11-24Results expected Q2 2028 · ClinicalTrials.gov

Drug Safety Update: Nitrous oxide: neurological and haematological toxic effects

Regulatory2014-12-11MHRA

Early exposure to common anesthetic agents causes widespread neurodegeneration in the developing rat brain and persistent learning deficits.

Research2003-02-01The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience

Profile

Identifiers & mechanism

Canonical identifiers, marketed brand names and mechanism, resolved across RxNorm, ChEMBL and ATC.

Canonical name

Nitrous Oxide

Aliases & brands

Dinitrogen monoxideDinitrogen oxideLaughing gasN2ON2O - nitrous oxideóxido nitrosoNitrious oxideNitrous oxide gas

RxNorm CUI

7486

ChEMBL ID

CHEMBL1234579

ATC codes

N01AX13N01AX63

UNII

K50XQU1029

Regulatory jurisdictions

mhra

Regulatory timeline

1 event

The complete regulatory record, grouped by authority — approvals, safety advisories and label changes. Each authority shows its most recent events; expand one to read its full history.

Authorities

MHRA

Total events

mhraMedicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency· 1 event

2014-12-11Safety communicationSafety

Drug Safety Update: Nitrous oxide: neurological and haematological toxic effects

Evidence ↗

Contains public sector information from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) licensed under the Open Government Licence (OGL v3).

Clinical trials

70 trials

The current development programme across all trial phases — status mix, phase distribution and the late-stage studies shaping the evidence base.

Development programme

CLINICALTRIALS.GOV · LIVE REGISTRY

registered trials across all phases

LATEST COMPLETION 2024

Active studies

Recruiting

Late-stage (III+)

Completed

Discontinued

PHASE DISTRIBUTIONn = 70

Early Phase 16Phase 16Phase 211Phase 38Phase 416Phase N / A23

Late-stage studies

Phase III+ trials still open or recently active — where late-stage evidence is being generated.

Self-Adjusted Nitrous Oxide: A Feasibility Study in the Setting of Vasectomy

RecruitingPH IVBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Centern=352027

Global Warming Impact and Clinical Effects of a Novel 'streamed-in' Nitrous Oxide Administration as a Carrier Gas During Sevoflurane General Anaesthesia: a Randomized Pilot Study

CompletedPH IVSir Ganga Ram Hospitaln=1022023

Effectiveness of Nitrous Oxide Administration Prior to Intranasal Midazolam for Moderate Sedation in Pediatric Dental Patients

Unknown statusPH IVChildren's Hospital Coloradon=1502021

A Comparison of Intranasal Midazolam and Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Minimal Sedation for Minor Procedures in a Pediatric Emergency Department

CompletedPH IVUniversity of Colorado, Denvern=632018

An Observer-blinded Randomized Study of Propofol Infusion vs Bolus Dexmedetomidine and Propofol Sedation for Pediatric Magnetic Resonance Imaging

CompletedPH IVMedical College of Wisconsinn=402018

Recent completions

Trials that read out recently, adding to the completed evidence base.

Virtual Reality: An Interventional Study Comparing the Use of Virtual Reality to Nitrous Oxide for Analgesia During Dental Procedures on Pediatric Patients

CompletedN/AGeisinger Clinicn=622024

Comparison of Two Intravenous Drug Combinations for Ambulatory Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

CompletedPH IAlbert Einstein College of Medicinen=732024

Virtual Reality Compared to Nitrous Oxide for Labor Analgesia

CompletedN/ABrendan Carvalhon=202023

Evaluation of the Antidepressant Effects of Nitrous Oxide in People With Major Depressive Disorder

CompletedPH IIBayside Healthn=812023

Analgesia by 50%/50% Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen Mixture for Nasogastric Catheterization in Children Aged 3 Months to 3 Years

CompletedN/AAssistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Parisn=232023

Colonoscopy Using Nitrous Oxide- A Pilot Study in the USA

CompletedPH IUniversity of Arkansasn=2002023

Research activity

1 papers

Key research shaping understanding of this drug, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.

Most influential

Early exposure to common anesthetic agents causes widespread neurodegeneration in the developing rat brain and persistent learning deficits.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2003 · 1,387 cites

Related drugs

2 matches

Drugs sharing diseases, protein targets and literature with this one. Ranked by graph evidence (shared targets + diseases weighted above co-mentions).

Isoflurane

Studied across 4 of the same disease areas as Nitrous Oxide in the shared literature.

4 shared diseases1 shared paper

Midazolam

Studied across 4 of the same disease areas as Nitrous Oxide in the shared literature.

4 shared diseases1 shared paper

References & data sources

RxNorm (U.S. National Library of Medicine) — drug identity
ChEMBL (EMBL-EBI) & UniProt — pharmacology and targets
Europe PMC — research literature
ClinicalTrials.gov — clinical trials
Regulatory event sources are credited in the Regulatory Timeline above.